


Benign Grievances

by Rukosband



Category: Naruto
Genre: Akatsuki - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon-Typical Violence, KakuHida Week 2019, M/M, Slow Burn, they're still ninjas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-01-08 02:10:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21228056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rukosband/pseuds/Rukosband
Summary: Hidan unknowingly uncovers something about Kakuzu that sets the man into somber mood and it starts to get to him. Kakuzu, meanwhile, is battling with himself over Hidan's discovery and for the first time in his life, is unsure of what to do.Following the KakuHida week prompts.





	1. It's Not Possible

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Soulmates

Hidan glanced down at the shōgi piece he'd thrown, then the spot between Kakuzu's top two masks in his back, then the game piece again. His partner had weird tastes, he knew, but the tattoo in the center of his back seemed odd. The rook piece in his hand, _hisha_, had the same character inscribed on Kakuzu's skin. Not the whole word, just the _hi_ part.

"Did you lose it?" Kakuzu's gruff voice cut into his thoughts. He didn't sound all that annoyed; probably because it was the inn's complementary shōgi set and not his own so if a piece was lost, Kakuzu didn't really mind.

"No, I found it," Hidan grumbled in return. He figured it best not to piss Kakuzu off anyways lest they end up back out in the pouring rain. Considering how cheap and hard headed his partner could be, it was a blessing in itself that they'd even stopped somewhere decent to wait out the storm.

Hidan plopped back down across from Kakuzu, readjusting his ass on the cushion to get comfy as he crisscrossed his legs. The shōgi piece turned slowly in his fingers as he contemplated the piece, eyeing the characters on the front and then Kakuzu.

The much older man looked bored, chin in his palm, eyes hardly focusing on the game. They just needed something to entertain themselves with but a game of wits was hardly a challenge when Kakuzu's opponent was Hidan. Kakuzu had already spent the first half hour explaining the rules and what each game piece could and could not do and now only commented occasionally to correct Hidan's illegal moves. He was pretty sure the miser was purposefully prolonging the game just so he didn't have to humiliate Hidan right away.

"Well," his old man of a partner groused, "it's your turn."

Hidan huffed and placed the rook back to where he thinks it had been before he had chucked it across the room. "What's the point? You're going to win anyways." He picked up a pawn and placed it over a square.

"The point," Kakuzu iterated, placing a piece with a soft _'clack,'_ "is to hopefully get you to better strategize your attacks instead of charging in without a proper plan."

"Psh! What I do is just fine. Never had a problem before," he remarked, resting his chin in his palm while he motioned flippantly with the other. "Pick some harder targets if you're so bored with doing the same thing." Hidan moved another pawn.

Kakuzu sighed and leaned back some, placing both hands on his knees before motioning to the board. "Are you sure you want to make that move? I've left myself vulnerable."

Hidan studied the game, narrowing his eyes as he tried to make sense of it all. Games like this bored him to no end and he wasn't learning anything like Kakuzu hoped he would. "Letting me win isn't very like you," Hidan commented. Still, though, even as he stared at the board he couldn't figure out how Kakuzu was open.

"You won't learn to be able to find any weaknesses in an opponent without practice." He moved one of his own pawns, probably making it easier for Hidan to win but he was. Just. Not. Getting. It.

Hidan scowled down at the game. "Why can't we play something else? Like a card game? I'm better at those." He hovered a hand over his knight, contemplating his next move.

"Card games lack strategy. They rely too much on luck."

"Well this game relies too much on being boring," he muttered. He gave a halfhearted flick of his knight into a new position. 

"No," Kakuzu simply stated, moving his bishop and capturing one of Hidan's pieces. "You just lack patience."

Hidan slid his gold piece. "No, this is just your favorite game. I bet you have all the pieces tattooed all over you."

Kakuzu hesitated before moving his own gold piece. "What are talking about?"

"The half a piece on your back. Uhh," he hovered around until he found a rook and presented it. "This one. You have half the piece written on your back."

The green eyes narrowed. "The hell are you talking about?"

"You have half of _hisha _written on your back. Like you never got it finished." He tossed the piece in the air and caught it, throwing it into his other hand before studying it again. "What do you have: all the other shōgi pieces tattooed in different places?"

Kakuzu leaned back, regarding Hidan warily. "The only tattoos I have are the ones marking me a prisoner." He indicated to the faded black rings encircling his forearms. 

"Then why the fuck do you have the character _hi_ on your back?"

"I don't," Kakuzu assured him, but he was looking a little paler than before, his eyes shifting in calculation.

"Yeah you do!" Hidan leapt to his feet and reached down to grab Kakuzu but his hand was knocked away. 

"Don't touch me!" Kakuzu snarled.

"I'm telling the truth! And I can prove it!" He snatched Kakuzu by the arm in spite of the obvious anger and disgust on his face and dragged him into the bathroom.

"Get off me!"

Hidan shoved him so the man's back was to the mirror and pointed. "See? Look! Right between the top two masks!"

Kakuzu had to crane his neck around to see but sure enough it was there, reflected in the mirror backwards. The ex-taki nin reached over his shoulder and pulled at his skin as if to make sure it was really there before his gaze shifted to Hidan's in the mirror. He scowled, eyes creasing into slits as he snarled, "Get out!"

"What?" Hidan burst out. "Why are you mad at me? It's not like _I_ gave you the tattoo!"

"Out!" Kakuzu roared, shoving Hidan out of the bathroom.

"Fuck, what's your problem?" The door slammed in his face and left Hidan fuming. He stomped to one of the beds, making sure to kick the game and send the wooden pieces flying. “The fuck is your problem?!” he shouted.

>>>><<<< 

Kakuzu glared at his own reflection before he turned his back and prayed that the mark wasn't still there. It was, and he felt himself growing sick. 

For as long as he could remember, that spot that now held a partial word had just been a dark mark. A birthmark. Nothing more, nothing less.

_It can’t be… It’s not..._

Nails dug into his shoulder blade as he clutched at the skin. He knew what this was and in all of his life, he had thought he was free of that curse. That predestined bullshit. The hint of fate. The partial name of one’s _soulmate._ Kakuzu nearly gagged at the word as it formed in his head.

He had been fortunate that most shinobi didn't care to find their soulmate but then again, they were groomed in seeing it as more of a curse. Knowing that they were destined to be tied to someone, that they may one day have to kill the person whose name was partially inscribed on their body - no one wanted that guilt eating them away so as shinobi the names were made to be meaningless. Some went as far as cutting the kana out or burning it off. 

Kakuzu never had a kana before. He had been an anomaly that the Village leaders had twisted into meaning it was a miracle. A _blessing, _so they had said_._ That Kakuzu was destined for something great - all because he wasn't tied down by a name. They put a lot of weight on his shoulders, raised him into the ruthless killing monster, backed him up with faith and praise, and sent him out to assassinate Senju Hashirama: a man who never knew defeat and who's only equal was Uchiha Madara, a bloodthirsty monster like himself who couldn't even win over Hashirama. 

The lack of a name stopped being a miracle after he barely landed a blow on the Shodaime. They twisted their beliefs completely around. He was no longer destined for greatness - he was condemned to failure. That the universe hadn't given him a perfect match meant that there was none. That he was garbage, unwanted.

He was punished because he couldn't do what nobody else could do. They jeered and spat, sentenced him to prison for following orders. There was no justice in their actions against him. And those fools didn't seem to take into account that they'd created a monster that refused to be caged.

They weren't laughing now.

Bile rose up in his throat, burning his esophagus, but he swallowed it back down. Kakuzu had to stop looking at the partial name on his back and brace himself against the sink. 

It had been a long time since he'd really studied his back and the masks and stitches drew the eye more than some meaningless mark. But to think that insignificant discoloration of his skin would one day morph into his predestined soulmate… Did that mean his life was already written? That he was meant to perform the forbidden jutsu and elongate his life? Just so he could live long enough to meet his soulmate?

And the character for _hi…_ Kakuzu didn't know very many people who carried a name with that kana. And unfortunately, he was currently stuck with one that he couldn’t kill.

It was a blessing in itself that Hidan hadn't made the connection that his name also contained the character for _hi_. Actually, the zealot never made much mention of soulmates and names in general. The only name he seemed to care about is that of his god.

Perhaps this was good. Perhaps, if he’s lucky, Hidan will drop the subject or he could pull off that it was an unfinished tattoo. The brat was so stupid it wouldn’t surprise him.

Kakuzu relaxed, letting the knowledge on how air-headed his partner is calm him. Paired with the fact that the chances of actually finding his soulmate were astronomically low, he felt his heart rate return to normal. It was just a coincidence that Hidan and the partial name on his back were one in the same. Just a coincidence, he told himself.

With his rage and panic subsiding, Kakuzu felt exhausted. He undressed, started up a shower, and forced himself not to look at his back in the mirror as he stepped under the showerhead.

There was no need to dwell on the impossible. Everything would be just fine.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he stopped and rolled his eyes. Their game of shōgi was now scattered around the room, its assailant sleeping peacefully on one of the futons. The fallout could have been worse. Hidan could have sat and waited to confront Kakuzu or done something even more childish. He smirked to himself as he thought, _Maybe making him use his brain tired him out._ It wouldn’t surprise him. Hidan was such an idiot he could get a headache from thinking too hard.

Kakuzu finished toweling his hair and slid into his own futon but not without casting a lingering glance at Hidan’s form. Shirtless, as always, the unmarked expanse of skin drew the eye. Hidan had a well-developed muscular structure in his back and arms - a tribute to his weapon of choice being his signature triple bladed scythe. But what really bought Kakuzu’s attention was Hidan’s nape.

Hidden under the platinum hair was a partial name. Kakuzu had barely glimpsed it once in the past and he wasn’t sure if Hidan was aware it was there. It was certainly a difficult spot to see. But the entire prospect of soulmates was lost on Kakuzu. He never cared enough to check, not even when he was attempting to choke the life out of Hidan when the idiot pissed him off. Now, however, a niggling feeling was worming its way through his head.

He reached forward, carefully brushing aside the fine hairs so as to not wake his partner... and felt his stomach drop.

A single kana marked Hidan just below his hairline.

_Kaku._


	2. Revenge Isn't So Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Payback (...sortof)

Kakuzu was ignoring him more than usual today and it began with the wake up call.

On any normal day, if Hidan was sluggish to get up, Kakuzu kicked, threatened, roughly grabbed, threw, or a combination of them all. Today’s wakeup had been a chucked pillow to the face and a barely commanding, _‘Get up.’_

Maybe because they had actually stayed somewhere decent for once that Kakuzu wasn’t as grumpy and irritable. Sleeping on rocks certainly made anyone wake up on the wrong side of the bed as did roach infested inns. But today’s morning routine, perhaps due to the superb night of rest, had been unpleasantly subdued. Not that Hidan was really complaining - he’d take a thrown pillow over a rock any day.

But he was most bothered by the quiet, simmering… _something._ It was like Kakuzu was distracted. The prick didn’t say a word about Hidan’s prayers this morning and now he was quietly looking at his bingo book, sitting on a rock while Hidan was a few arms lengths away, spear through his chest while he finished up a ritual. Actually, he had finished his final prayers to Jashin twenty minutes ago and he had really taken his time in doing them. Now he was just waiting to see when Kakuzu finally lost his patience.

Which apparently wasn’t any time soon.

Hidan had been watching him until the blood he lied in turned cold and the flies were beginning to feed off the corpse. Kakuzu had barely batted an eye. It was unnerving to see him staring blankly, no emotion across usually intense green eyes. The man wasn’t even pretending to read. The pages hadn’t turned in the entire time Hidan had been paying attention.

He sat up and removed the spear, using the grass to wipe off most of the blood before retracting it. There wasn’t much he could do about the mess he’d made on his own chest and back from where he’d driven the spear through but at least he’d taken his cloak off prior. That was _one_ less thing Kakuzu could complain about. But they’ll have to find a river. He was no longer allowed to walk around covered in blood.

Hidan stretched, popping a few joints before rising to his feet. The new hole in his chest and back would heal in time but right now it ached. Hidan rubbed the tender skin and looked at Kakuzu expectantly. In all of his griping and bitching about Hidan being unobservant, slow, or generally distracted, the man was certainly being a hypocrite right now. The green eyes still carried a blankness to them and he had yet to respond to any of Hidan’s movements. Well, Hidan thought, he might as well make the moment worth it.

The dead nin’s blood was soaking his clothes and the ground, staining everything dark and red. Hidan ripped off a section of wet cloth and gave it a test squeeze, pleased to see a few droplets of scarlet drip down and spill over his fingers. He was certainly aware that what he was planning was a terrible idea really deserving of an ass kicking but if it snapped Kakuzu out of whatever strange mood he was in, well, he was no stranger to pain.

Approaching his partner with absolutely no caution and receiving no response, Hidan raised his fistful of bloody rag and squeezed. Red poured over his knuckles and onto the book with wet smacks, forever staining the already dirty pages. Kakuzu blinked, then his head snapped back in surprise before he jumped to his feet, holding the book out so the blood wouldn't get on him.

Hidan snorted, amused by the reaction, and dropped the rag before he shook his hand, sending droplets flying.

"What the _fuck_ is so funny?" Ah, the sweet sound of Kakuzu cursing. The old man was livid.

Grinning, Hidan wiped off what blood he could on the dead nin's clothes (the parts that weren't bloodied) before answering Kakuzu. "You weren't moving so I thought maybe you were stuck in a genjutsu." He mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with that lie so swiftly.

Shaking out his bingo book, Kakuzu's voice lowered threateningly. "And you thought the best way to check was by dumping blood all over my belongings?"

With a shrug, Hidan turned his back on the man. "I didn't know you were so scared of a little blood." Just like he had expected it to, the killing intent washed over him and sent the air buzzing with hostility. It made Hidan’s skin crawl in anticipation. He loved pissing his partner off and his fingers itched to reach for his scythe.

But then, all too soon, it disappeared. Startled, Hidan looked over his shoulder to see Kakuzu begrudgingly close the book and tuck it away. Even more bizarrely, he brushed past Hidan as if he weren't there and stopped at the corpse's side. Disheartened that he hadn't managed to snap Kakuzu out of whatever weird mood he was in, Hidan snatched up his cloak and scythe and waited for his partner to finish inspecting the dead shinobi. 

He was half hoping the damage he'd rendered would earn him a scolding. Kakuzu loved his money more than anything so costing him the full price on a bounty usually pissed him off. But, to Hidan's growing unease, his partner simply hauled the lifeless man over his shoulder and began walking. 

Something deep in his chest twisted in pain but he couldn't figure out why. It emanated from the left, not the right where his wound lay. The rest of his injuries were just superficial scratches outside of the stab wound to his shoulder and hand. It didn't explain what he was feeling now. 

But… maybe this was Jashin's punishment. Perhaps he hadn't inflicted enough pain during the ritual so his god was just taking a little more. If that was all then Hidan would live with it.

He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the throbbing ache in his chest already subsiding. That was all - just Jashin's blessing lasting a little longer.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already feeling better. And being left behind. Hidan took off after his partner with a frustrated, “Oi!”


	3. The Past is Irrelevant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: When we were young

"Oi, what's it like being almost a hundred years old?" Hidan eloquently asked as he flopped down beside him.

Kakuzu growled low in response. Hidan's presence was beginning to haunt him and he was starting to become hyper aware of everything the man did. _Everything. _From his actions, quirks, and voice, to the shape of his lips, the blood and dirt under his nails, his goddamn _scent_. All because the idiot had pointed out the partial name on his back and his own foolish curiosity had unveiled the one on Hidan. If only he could kill him, then his problems would go away.

"C'mon, what was a hundred years ago like?" Hidan prodded again.

Placing his bookmark in the book he _had_ been enjoying, Kakuzu sighed, making a point to not hide his annoyance. 

Ever since he'd discovered their soulmate marks, Kakuzu had been lost in his thoughts. Feelings of dread, nausea, and more recently, relieving acceptance, had been plaguing his mind for a couple of weeks. So much so, that he had been distracted from his surroundings. It was fortunate that they hadn't been assigned anything. A mission during that time could have proven fatal. Especially since Hidan had been handling their bounties. It wasn't until he had finally, though begrudgingly, accepted that just _maybe_ he had a soulmate out there and _maybe_ that soulmate was Hidan that he snapped out of his reverie. And due to that he had come to the conclusion that it could have been much worse and their partnership thus far hadn't been _completely_ awful. He can continue working alongside him without letting the possibility of them being soulbound get in the way.

Because as far as either of them are concerned, nothing has changed. Nothing.

Or so he tried to convince himself. 

Because, as of late, Hidan had been annoyingly demanding and desperate for attention. And a _lot_ more… _physical._ Like right now.

Kakuzu snapped his book closed and glared at the man who was too close for comfort. He wasn't asking for much. All he wanted was to block out the unnecessary and enjoy his novel. He'd even rented a room for a few days while they waited on Leader's next instructions. But apparently his despondent reactions to Hidan’s usual antics had driven his partner further insane than he already was. Kakuzu will have to remember that ignoring Hidan worked better than beating him within an inch of his life when it came to upsetting the fanatic.

“A hundred years…” he contemplated aloud, taking notice of the brightening shine to Hidan’s red-violet eyes. It made him frown to see just how happy Hidan became that he was actually responding.

And it didn’t take long for a grin to spread over Hidan’s features and was soon making himself comfortable on _Kakuzu’s_ bed, propping his head up on an elbow and ankles crossing as he curled his legs. “Yeah. Your memory isn’t shot, is it?”

Attempted joke at his age aside, Kakuzu put his book down and crossed his arms. He could remember about as far back as maybe seven or eight years of age and he couldn’t say he missed much of his childhood, though they certainly were simpler times. Actually, they had been happier times too. Back when he had been praised for being boundless. But now it was just a deep, bitter feeling whenever he recalled his past beyond his rebirth, as he liked to call it.

As far as Kakuzu was concerned, his first life was no longer important. Everything after he had performed the Earth Grudge Fear and ripped the hearts out of the Takigakure Elder Council was when his life really began.

But Hidan wasn’t asking about his personal history so he rattled off some obvious answers. “No electricity. Very few trains and boats. Less accessible roads.”

Hidan’s smile dropped and he rolled onto his back. “I don’t give a fuck about that. What were people like? What was a fight like back then?”

Ah, of course Hidan didn’t care about the cultural advances. He wanted the violence. Kakuzu _hmphed._ “Pick up a history book if you want to learn about the wars.”

Red-violet slid to the corners as Hidan continued to face the ceiling but send his glare Kakuzu’s way. “I don’t give a shit about the wars. That was just Villages being petty. I want to know about the _people.”_ He suddenly gasped slightly before flipping back onto his stomach, excitement vibrating through him. “Have you met any other followers of Jashin?”

“You’re the first,” Kakuzu deadpanned. Did Hidan not know his own religion was fairly new? ...Then again, Hidan believed in all of his lunatic commandments and teachings so it wouldn’t surprise him if the fool had been duped into believing any lies.

Hidan scowled and flopped back over. “I guess if Jashin was as widely known back then there’d be a lot more followers today.”

Considering converts had a habit of suicide, no, Kakuzu doubted there would be that many. But he kept that to himself. Although…

He eyed Hidan and contemplated his near perfect immortality. Back then people were more impressionable with religion and something like the preaching of a man’s death-defying abilities would definitely have swayed the masses. That is, if Hidan didn’t kill them first.

Kakuzu chuckled low, gaining Hidan’s attention and a raised eyebrow. “You were born in the wrong era,” he told him. “Your bloodlust would have fit in perfectly with the first official Great War.”

Hidan smiled, all teeth, and gave Kakuzu his full attention. “Yeah? How so?”

“Science and medicine were not nearly what they are today, for starters,” Kakuzu began. “Things like soldier pills and medical ninjutsu might as well not even have existed. And once someone was fatally injured they didn’t get right back up. More people died then than they do now and only the strong prevailed. The weak didn’t survive.”

“Hmm. I’d heard the first shinobi war was a bloodbath. Entire clans were wiped out.” He put his hands behind his head but frowned. “I bet Yugakure wasn’t as much of a pussy in those days. Would have liked to have seen that.”

“Takigakure was a stronger force back then, too,” Kakuzu added bitterly. “It’s not the same Village as it used to be.”

Hidan watched him carefully, for once his face serious. “Do you miss it - those days?”

Kakuzu felt the beginnings of his lip curling. “No,” he growled and slid off the bed.

He didn’t miss any of it.


	4. Days Like This are Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Benefits

Hidan’s inability to die was both aggravatingly obnoxious and a major plus to their fighting style. Kakuzu loathed that he couldn’t silence the little shit when he ran his mouth off about gods or heathens or some other nonsense but he had to admit that he’s never worked better with anyone before now.

Kakuzu’s ninjutsu covered a broad range of attack that, if he felt like it (or was pissed off enough), could obliterate everything in the surrounding area with one move. That meant anyone, and not just his target, was caught in the crossfire and very likely wouldn’t survive, ergo his previous partners in Akatsuki.

Kisame had made a jab regarding his last partner’s death, knowing full well that it wasn’t an accident when Kakuzu unleashed his attack. Though it annoyed Leader with how often he needed replacement partners, Kakuzu brushed off the scrutiny. It wasn’t his fault that the partners he was lined up with were too slow. If they wanted to be an obstacle then Kakuzu was going to go right through them. Literally.

But they hit the jackpot with Hidan. Driven to murder _and_ immortal? He was the perfect partner for Kakuzu: he couldn’t be killed. Torn apart, stabbed, beheaded, drowned, incinerated - within hours wounds were healed and in days there was no trace of them happening. And the idiot actually _loved_ the pain. Relished in it. Prayed for it. Hidan enjoyed it so much, Kakuzu was beginning to become disgusted in causing it. There wasn’t any satisfaction if the person he’d just shoved his fist through or strangled the neck of was grinning and laughing for more.

But _damn it_ did they work well together.

If Kakuzu wasn’t in the mood to let Hidan handle a target, then Hidan cornered them and Kakuzu finished them off with one of his jutsu. It didn’t matter if his partner was in the way because Hidan couldn’t be killed. He’d be right in front of the blast, grinning maniacally as fire swept over him. The last thing their target would see is a mad man engulfed in flames before they, too, were incinerated.

That thought was oddly satisfying but also sent a shiver up Kakuzu’s spine. Like now, for instance.

The Iwa shinobi was trapped, panting heavily against the sheer wall of rock. His other two comrades were dead and had been damn near useless. But this one, the one that had survived up until this point, had a decent bounty on his head for good reason.

There wasn’t much left that he could pull. The red clothes and brown flak jacket that was a signature outfit for Iwa shinobi were in tatters. The sleeves ripped off, a large slash from the top left to the bottom right from where Hidan had swung at him, and his bandana hitai-ate was long gone. But this was Iwa territory, which technically gave the man the advantage, but in reality, there was no escape.

Hidan had sprinted up the stone wall some time ago in preparation for a trap and Kakuzu’s wind mask was circling back down for another rapid assault. The fire mask lumbered in behind Kakuzu, who was waiting patiently for the right moment to strike, and then the Iwa-nin moved into action. 

A series of rocks jutted out from the cliff, one big enough to block the wind mask’s blasts of air, the rest providing a maneuverable set of jump points up the canyon wall. It was then, when the shinobi had started his ascent, that Hidan leapt out, forcing the man to block with his sword. They ended up falling with clashing blades, Hidan hollering in exhilaration. The sounds were immediately drowned out by the roar of fire as Kakuzu’s Katon: Zukokku bum-rushed both the bounty and his partner. Not even the screams of pain could be heard.

As the smoke and dust cleared, a figure swung a scythe over their shoulder and turned towards Kakuzu. The Akatsuki cloak was in tatters, a few holes still smoldering, and Hidan's right arm and chest was mottled with burns. But the man grinned, unaffected by the obvious pain he was in.

Their target, meanwhile, was a heap on the ground, breath shallow and raspy. He'd purposefully held back on his attack, aiming to incapacitate because he needed his bounties to remain recognizable. And between the pain from the heat and burns and the lack of oxygen, the bounty had clearly passed out.

Hidan pulled out his spear with a flashy twirl and held it out. "Would you like the honor?"

Under the mask, Kakuzu smirked. "I _would_ prefer reaching the exchange point before nightfall." He accepted the spear gratefully and flicked it open.

"Heh, well," Hidan grinned, "it ain't really a worthy sacrifice if the guy ain't awake to feel pain."

Kakuzu chuckled, his soft smile stretching into a grin as he brought the spear down.


	5. An Unlucky Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: King of hearts

Kisame placed another fifteen thousand ryo into the middle, a confident smirk gracing his sharp features. It was a fifty-fifty shot that the man was bluffing but seeing the rise in price, Sasori folded with a huff.

Kakuzu eyed the ex-kiri nin carefully, wondering what hand he'd been dealt that could be better than his pair of kings, a queen, and two tens. He added his own stack of bills to the pile, confident he had the winning hand.

The smacking sound of bare feet descended the stairs and traveled behind him. Deidara snarled at being shoved out of the way and Itachi looked up from his cards, his nose wrinkling slightly. Kisame and Sasori supported his disgust; a roll of the eyes from the puppet master and an amused chortle from the blue man.

Kakuzu sighed and readjusted his cards. "Hidan, put some clothes on."

"Fuck off! It's hot!"

Unwilling to enter a fight while so much money was at stake, Kakuzu shook his head with a growl.

"How'd you know?" Kisame grinned. The others looked at him with minor interest as well.

"Context clues."

Kisame shrugged. "He isn't wrong, though. It is rather warm in the base today. Ain't you dying all covered up like that?"

It was stifling with the cloak on, but since the soulmate name was branded on his back, he refused to let the others see. "The heat doesn't affect me much," he simply said instead.

Satisfied, or more likely he didn't care, Kisame shrugged and raised the cash pile another ten grand.

"I'm out," Itachi conceded, placing his cards delicately onto the table.

Sasori raised an eyebrow at Kisame before turning _almost_ inquisitive brown eyes on Kakuzu, and then behind Kakuzu.

Hidan obnoxiously leaned into him, reeking of sweat and dressed in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. "Oi, oi, deal me in next round," he smiled, the hand with a drink pointing at the table.

"You have no money," Kakuzu grumbled, sliding more of his own into the center, never breaking eye contact with Kisame.

All three of his opponents looked shocked in different variations, most likely due to Hidan's uncharacteristic closeness to a man who despised being touched. It disturbed Kakuzu on how late his reaction was to the familiarity his partner was showing and now he very well couldn't shove him away without raising suspicions. So he allowed Hidan to lean against him, pretending that winning his money was more important, which, in actuality, it was.

"Just lend me some," Hidan insisted.

"Yeah, Kakuzu, lend him some," Kisame goaded with a cheeky grin.

"So he can lose my money? If you want him to play so bad, you loan him the cash. You seem to be doing well," he growled, eyeing the new addition of money Kisame slid forwards. He was beginning to believe he may not have a winning hand; not with how much Kisame was putting on the line.

"Nervous you're gonna lose?" his opponent taunted.

He should have taken that as a hint to give in but instead he raised the stakes another few thousand. Hidan leaned more heavily into his space and reached out, brushing his fingers over the cards and stopping on the king of hearts. Kakuzu, in particular, hated that card. Whenever it came into his possession he lost ninety-nine percent of the time. The other one percent he won big - several high bounties worth. But that one win didn't make up for the losing streak that particular card placed him in.

"Ha! Fish breath thinks he's got a chance."

By the widening grin on Kisame's face, he really did. Kakuzu elbowed Hidan off of him and gave up their game of bluffing. He placed his cards out and felt his temper rise.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Kakuzu," Kisame purred as he laid out his hand: a straight flush. The bastard then made a show of looping his arms around the pile of money and dragging it towards him.

Hidan sucked in a breath and took a cautious step back. "Hey Blondie, what was that about getting lunch?"

"What? What the hell are you talking abou-" Whatever look Hidan gave Deidara made the youngest member change his mind completely. "Oh, yeah, right, I'm famished. Let's go."

Kakuzu remained still as Hidan vacated the area. He couldn't believe he'd made an ally in such a short amount of time. Sasori even smirked as Deidara ordered Hidan to put some clothes on so they could both escape. Kisame, however, was still basking in his win.

"Up for another round?" the smug bastard half sang, organizing his quadrupled stack of cash into neat piles.

Kakuzu passed his cards to Sasori - the only one among them they all equally trusted not to cheat as a dealer (and only because the ex-Suna nin only played to pass the time). 

"Don't think you'll get lucky twice."


	6. Not Missing You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Reunion

Hidan sighed, bored with the day, the week, the almost month, when Deidara finally snapped at him.

"For fucks sake, hm, what the hell are you so depressed about?"

Biting his tongue, Hidan eyed the blonde balefully. Why he was stuck with _him_ for the past few assignments, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that they’d switched partners so the puppet freak could take Kakuzu to go talk with some mutual acquaintance almost a month ago. Why they couldn’t all go didn’t make much sense but Kakuzu had been acting off for a while now and he was starting to wonder if this arrangement was permanent. 

He hoped not. Deidara was fine in small doses and fun to rile up, but pissing him off was too easy and getting boring. The ex-Iwa nin was only interested in blowing shit up and whenever they bickered Deidara’s smartass comebacks weren’t as good Kakuzu’s. And he missed those. And the thrown punches. The insults. The spats… He won’t say he _missed_ Kakuzu, but Deidara was scrawny and had a weak punch. That fiery temper of his was all he had and it was getting old.

Hidan laid his head on the picnic table, glaring at the stack of dango the blonde had _insisted _on stopping to get. “Missions with you are so boring. We barely get to kill anyone.”

Chuckling, Deidara polished off another stick. “Sasori and I usually get stuck with information gathering and espionage. But we blew up that dam last week - that was fun!”

Pouting, Hidan turned his eyes on his hopefully temporary partner. “That’s _your_ idea of fun. I’ve hardly sacrificed anyone in the past couple of weeks.”

Deidara shrugged. “Hey, Leader assigns the missions. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him, hm.”

_“Tch!_ The guy hates me. I’m only here ‘cause Kakuzu can’t kill me like his other partners and who knows if I’ll even be kept around after this.” He rolled his head to the side, staring at nothing in particular. “Maybe it’s better this way. I can go back to spreading Jashin’s teachings _my_ way without Akatsuki in the way.”

The explosive expert paused in his eating, a frown on his face. “Geez, you really are depressed. What makes you think Akatsuki is done with you?”

A lot of things, actually. Like how, for starters, they hadn’t enlisted him because they appreciated his skills, they needed him because Kakuzu, someone they actually _wanted_ around, kept killing his partners. Or how Leader gave the orders to Kakuzu because he didn’t trust Hidan. And that Hidan was left out of meetings because they all thought he was a waste of time to explain plans and assignments to. Not to mention the others made fun of him constantly. Especially that fucking plant thing, Zetsu. It normally didn’t get to him but after awhile he starts to wonder if all he’s good for is as a punching bag.

But mostly it was how Kakuzu had been treating him lately. They hated yet respected one another so when they fought it was usually pent up energy that needed to be expelled somehow. Throwing punches was the fastest way to get rid of some of that bloodlust and once they calmed down they got along fairly well. But recently, that wasn’t the case. Kakuzu had barely laid a hand on him that wasn’t just to pass him a body and his usual aura of rage had been drastically subdued. A couple of moments here or there Kakuzu had deigned him with some attention, but it wasn’t the normal Kakuzu. And the prick hadn’t even told him he was going on some mission without him. Deidara and he had returned to find their respective partners gone. It made him wonder if his partner was so sick of him, he didn’t care anymore.

Hidan huffed and brought his arms up to rest his chin on them instead of the splintered wood. “You _know_ why they partnered me with Kakuzu,” he scoffed.

“Yeah, so?”

“So where is he now?”

Deidara shrugged, “With Sasori,” and ate another dango ball.

“And aren’t you worried Kakuzu might kill him?”

“Nah. They may have different views and argue but they do actually get along, hm.”

“Exactly,” Hidan grit. “So why not make them a permanent team?”

Deidara paused, gave it some thought, and then shook his head. “Never gonna happen. If Leader wanted it that way they would have been partnered up before you or I joined.”

That was a point he hadn’t thought of, but, “That doesn’t mean it can’t change. Why didn’t we just go with them? Has Akatsuki ever exchanged partners before?”

With a sigh, Deidara finished off the last of the dango. “I don’t know what you’re freaking out over. Yeah, as far as I know, we don’t change partners but I don’t make the rules. Besides, don’t the two of you hate each other?” He stood and tossed the plate and sticks into a nearby waste bin then looked to Hidan.

Taking the cue, he got up. “Not exactly. Kakuzu’s just been acting weirder than normal.”

“Weird how?” the younger inquired as they headed back onto the road.

“Like…” Hidan paused for thought before articulating, “Like not Kakuzu.”

An eyebrow went up. “Not helpful but you know him better than I do. So what set him off to be acting strange?”

Hidan thought about it - back to the first day Kakuzu had been acting off. “... I joked about his tattoo,” Hidan muttered to himself. Deidara asked him to clarify but Hidan barely heard him as he went off. “That fucking asshole exploded on me over a stupid tattoo! It’s not like _I_ put it there!”

“Tattoo? You mean his prisoner tattoos?”

“No,” Hidan growled. “Not those stupid things. I mean the one on his back. He got all pissy when I pointed it out.”

“Hnn? I wasn’t aware that he had one on his back.” Deidara shrugged without a care. “Not that I ever bothered to check. But I thought he had those creepy masks sewn in, hm.”

Hidan nodded. “Yeah, it’s between two of them. I can’t remember what it said but it had something to do with shōgi. It was a word, or well, part of a word.”

“Oh, you mean a soulmate!” Deidara piped up.

“A what?”

“The name of his soulmate. You know, the person we’re all- You serious?” Deidara stopped to blink at Hidan’s confused look. “Wait, you don’t know- C’mon, man, don’t fuck with me.”

“The hell are you talking about?” Soulmates? He’d heard of them before but never really paid much attention. And what does this have to do with Kakuzu’s tattoo?

Deidara continued to look at him in disbelief. “You know, the kana we’re all born with that is the partial name to our soulmate. It looks like a tattoo but it’s more like a birthmark.”

Hidan shook his head. “I mean, I guess I kinda know what you’re talking about. There was a point when I was a kid where everyone was obsessed with finding their soulmates but I didn’t give a shit. Who the fuck does?”

“Well,” Deidara went on as nonchalant as ever, “most people don’t. The chances of actually meeting your soulmate are nearly impossible. But maybe it’s a sore subject for Kakuzu. The guy _is_ like a hundred years old, hm. Maybe they’re dead.”

Hidan scoffed at first. Kakuzu? Upset that his soulmate was dead? Yeah right. The guy was married to his money. But as he replayed the events of that night, it struck him odd. “... No, he acted like he had no idea what I was talking about. He didn’t even believe me until I showed him and then he got all pissy like he usually does. But that was the last time he’s gotten mad. Now he’s just… boring.”

“Like I said, maybe his soulmate is dead and he didn’t want to remember and you bringing it up pissed him off. It’s kinda hard to picture him as anything but angry though. Don’t think I’ve ever seen him express any other emotion, hm.” Then he bumped into Hidan’s shoulder, a grin on his face. “So you’re all depressed because Kakuzu’s all depressed? How sweet!”

“Fuck off!” Hidan snarled, shoving the blonde off of him. “I ain’t depressed. I’m just tired of him moping around is all! Kakuzu’s the one being a pussy if some stupid soulmate name is bothering him.”

Deidara guffawed, clutching a hand over his stomach. “It _is_ kinda hilarious! Who knew he had feelings!”

Hidan scowled, not really finding the humor in it. Kakuzu _has_ emotions, the man had even laughed once or twice, but Hidan chuckled anyways, not wanting to draw attention to how upset Deidara’s comment had made him. “Yeah… What’s so special about these soulmate things anyways? It like, destiny or somethin’?”

With a long, exaggerated sigh, Deidara let his hair loose and began tying it back up. “I think it’s all a bunch of bull but some people swear by it. They say whoever belongs to that name on you is someone who’ll make you happy. But they don’t always mean you gotta marry them, hm.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t that what people do when they find someone they’re happy with?”

Deidara gave him an, _Are you serious?_ look and flipped his bangs. “Well, not everyone’s soulmate is the opposite sex, hm. If a dude’s soulmate is another dude and he isn’t into dudes, then why the fuck would they get married? They just end up being best friends or some shit. You know, if you aren’t from enemy nations.”

Hidan hummed as he thought about it. It seemed like a waste of time to worry over a name but maybe that’s because he never had one. He glanced at Deidara, curious on what the blonde knows. “So, these names, you got one too?”

“Yeah, hm.”

“So where is it? On your back like Kakuzu’s?”

“Nah, my ankle. It says, Baku.” He flashed a proud grin. “Which is perfect. Means my art is my soulmate!”

Unimpressed and slightly disgusted, Hidan’s thoughts trailed back to Kakuzu while Deidara went on a rant about his art. Again. He didn’t think Kakuzu ever cared about anyone other than himself and money, but maybe Deidara was right. There was a lot he didn’t know about his partner. And at this rate he may not learn much of anything.

“Oi,” he said somberly. Deidara paused in his monologue and tilted his head. “So, everyone’s got these soulmate names?”

“Yep. Everyone.”

Hidan glanced away, trying to recall ever finding a name on his body. “Well… I don’t.”

Deidara snorted. “Sure you do. Everyone does.”

He stopped walking and stared hard at the blonde. “Fish breath?”

“Probably.”

“Gloomy?”

“Pretty sure he has it on his wrist.”

“Doll face?”

Deidara snickered and scratched the back of his head. “I mean, at one point sure. But Sasori’s replaced most of his body so a soulmate mark probably doesn’t fit his _‘perfect’_ work of art.”

“Well I don’t,” he iterated firmly.

With a roll of his eye and hands on hips, Deidara turned to him. “Sure you do. There’s never been a person without one.” He snapped his fingers. “Here, undress.”

“The fuck-”

“Shut up. You parade around half naked all the fucking time; don’t get shy on me now, hm. Just take the cloak off.”

Hidan eyed him suspiciously but shed his cloak. “See, nothing.” He spun slowly to give his partner a clear view and then hiked up his pants.

Deidara shrugged as he circled him. “Damn, I’ve seen you stab yourself repeatedly and you don’t have a single scar. Or blemish. No freckles, moles, birthmarks. Be careful around Sasori; he may make a puppet out of you,” he chuckled.

A shiver ran up his spine. “Fuck off. That’s just creepy.”

Deidara laughed. “Oi, oi, I’m just warning you, hm. Piss him off enough and he just might.” He chuckled a little more before his humor petered out into a sigh. Hip cocked, arms crossing, Deidara scowled. “Ah, well, I sure as shit ain’t checking the underside of your dick but yeah, I don’t see anything. But it could be somewhere I don’t want to find out.”

Hidan fixed his pants and slung his cloak back on. “I don’t want you checking either. But what’s this mean?”

“That you’re a freak, probably,” Deidara shrugged. “Welcome to the club.” He pulled a ball of clay out of his pocket and began molding it as they picked up walking again.

“Fuck, I ain’t like you guys,” Hidan stated proudly. “My soul belongs to Jashin. This just further proves it!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jashin and shit,” he brushed off. Deidara tossed his molded figure into the air, raising a two-fingered hand sign. With a puff of smoke, the much larger clay monster extended its wings, a long neck craning around to watch the two.

Hidan’s lip curled. “We flyin’ back?”

“Yeah. Otherwise we won’t get back when we’re supposed to, hm.” Deidara was already in the process of climbing the stupid-looking bird when he spoke.

Flying wasn’t Hidan’s preferred way of travel but it _was_ faster and he didn’t have to walk. But flying sucked. It was cold, the wind made it hard to hear, and there was nothing to hold on to. Deidara had been an absolute ass his first flight by rolling mid-air and dropping Hidan. He didn’t hit the ground (not that it would kill him) because Deidara had ‘saved’ him, but after that he had a hand ready to grab his spear just in case the bastard did it again.

With maximum reluctance, Hidan climbed aboard after Deidara snapped at him to quit being a pussy. He wasn’t afraid, there was just a severe lack of trust. The maniacal laughter didn’t help either.

They took off, Hidan digging his heels into the soft body of the dragon-bird-thing. They couldn’t talk much over the wind so they rode in silence for a few hours, the weather decent until they enter Rain Country. At that point the light rain settled over them, stinging his cheeks and soaking him through. 

When they landed, Hidan shook his head like a dog, slicking a hand through his hair to push it back. “Fuck this rain,” he muttered.

Deidara snickered, jumping down and returning the clay bird to its original size before pocketing it. “Hnn,” he agreed, wringing out some of his hair. “At least we don’t have to come back here often.”

Hidan pulled his cloak collar up and moved to step quicker when he heard a familiar explosion. He jumped around, hand reaching for his scythe only to see Deidara’s wide grin and a clay umbrella with horns in his hand.

“Relax, my man,” he chuckled, stepping in next to Hidan. The umbrella was large enough to cover the both of them.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Hidan sauntered next to him as the walked to one of the base’s entrances. “Good to know your _‘art’_ is good for something,” he jabbed.

Deidara shoved him. “Oi! You can get wet for all I care!”

“Neh, Blondie, chill out!”

“Hidan.”

They both snapped up at the new voice. In the shadows of the entrance, Kakuzu was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Hidan lost his breath for a second at the sight of him.

“We have an assignment,” his partner’s gruff voice announced, pushing off the wall.

Hidan blinked and snapped back to reality. “But I just got back!” he whined.

A low rumble that may have been an agreement was all Kakuzu’s reply before he swept past.

Both of Akatsuki’s youngest members watched for a second, Hidan looking over his shoulder to see Deidara shrug. _‘Guess we’re back to our normal partners,’_ he seemed to convey. Hidan bit down on his grin, the inexplicable happiness he was feeling too embarrassing to let Deidara see. A short laugh escaped him anyways though before he shouted after Kakuzu to wait up.


	7. This One Favor, No Strings Attached

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Foot in the Grave

Kakuzu touched down on the sparse clearing, dust kicking up around his feet. Their target hadn’t noticed his presence yet, too preoccupied torturing Hidan and too confident that his other mercenary buddies could handle Kakuzu. 

He enjoyed it when his opponents were overconfident in their abilities. It caused them to make foolish mistakes and were always too arrogant to see the truth in their error until it was too late. This group wasn’t _that_ clueless. Strategically, separating the Akatsuki duo was smart; their battle strategy relied heavily on their combined attacks. But their opponents weren’t strong enough to overpower, well, at least Kakuzu, on their own. Kakuzu had dispatched the three he’d been left to fight rather effortlessly once he managed to catch the fastest amongst them. Hidan, on the other hand, was not faring as well. If he planned his waste-of-time ceremonies better, he may actually be able to handle stronger adversaries.

Chakra wire pinned Hidan to a tree, his own spear thrust into his gut, his right arm missing, and he was littered with lacerations and stab wounds. But he still ran that mouth of his off, screaming on how his god will bring the man’s end. Tsukeru, their target, hardly paid attention, enamored with Hidan’s inability to die despite the fatal wounds he was suffering from.

Kakuzu glanced at the other body beside Hidan’s ritual circle, also missing an arm and the matching limbs of both not far off. At least Hidan had managed to kill one of them, though by the amount of blood present the man had bled out. So perhaps his death hadn’t been intentional. That being said, hopefully this will be the wake-up call his partner needed to kill first and pray later.

Oh, who was he kidding?

He huffed, not looking forward to the bitching Hidan was sure to give him over this ordeal. Not like it was Kakuzu’s fault – Hidan should know how to take care of himself. This shouldn’t be as big of a challenge. But what was most upsetting was his growing rage that he was just barely holding at bay. Seeing Hidan in this state was disconcerting and it was blasphemous that Tsukeru hadn’t picked up on his killing intent. Their oblivious target aside, Hidan _had._

“Kakuzu, you piece of shit!” he screamed. “Quit standing there and help!”

Tsukeru spun around, wide eyed with shock, and raised his sword in defense. “How-” He flinched and took a step back as Kakuzu moved. Good: the fear was sinking in.

Kakuzu casually walked over to the corpse and picked up Hidan’s arm. “Oh, a clean cut. It’ll make sewing this back on easier,” he announced as he inspected the severed limb.

“Kakuzu! You dick!” Hidan struggled against his restraints. “Fuck! If you’re not gonna kill him at least get me out of this so I can kill the bastard myself!”

“And how would you do that? You’re missing an arm.” Kakuzu waved the limp appendage at his partner, which only served to infuriate him. Hidan went off with a slew of curses and insults but Tsukeru, suddenly no longer as assured, took a few retreating steps back. Kakuzu was behind him in a flash, arm detaching and gripping their target by the throat. Like hell he was going to let a paid job get away.

In his shock, Tsukeru dropped his sword and tried to dig his nails into Kakuzu’s hardened skin to free himself from the vice grip around his neck. He flailed as he was lifted off the ground, making several garbled choking sounds.

“Ha!” Hidan barked. “Serves you right you piece of shit!” Kakuzu held back from rolling his eyes. Hidan’s overconfidence will be the death of him one day.

Their target, turning purple, gained his wits for a second and began forming a hand sign. Kakuzu reacted fast, sending Tsukeru across the clearing into a tree with a sickening snap. The body fell limp in his hand so he released him, retracting his arm and the threads sewing back into place. The man slumped onto the ground, a dribble of blood leaking from his nose, eyes half-lidded with the glassy sheen of death.

Positive the man was dead after observing the body for a few moments, Kakuzu picked up the sword and slid it between the tree and wire, giving it a couple of hard jerks until the first few layers of cables snapped.

“Fuckin’ finally,” Hidan breathed angrily as he wiggled free. He rubbed at the cuts across his chest and abdomen. “Fuckin’ shit was digging into me.”

“Let that be a lesson not to get caught,” Kakuzu growled.

Hidan opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it and looked away instead. That was… new. 

Ignoring it, (even though he was dying to know what had made Hidan _not_ run his mouth off) Kakuzu roughly grabbed him by the shoulder and ordered him to hold still while he sewed his arm back on. Hidan grumbled but did as he was told, wincing and gasping with less volume than usual. He wondered briefly if his partner was sulking from having to be rescued. Hidan certainly hated help but readily asked for it when needed. However, he was never grateful for it when it was given.

“You look like death warmed over,” Kakuzu commented as he finished the last stitch. From the loss of blood, Hidan had taken on an ashen appearance and looked exhausted. Once they hit the exchange point with the client, they’ll have to stop somewhere to rest.

His partner groaned, annoyed but for once keeping his comments in his head.

Some of the fresher wounds were still oozing, Kakuzu noticed as he gave Hidan another once over. Feeling gracious, he sent out a few more threads.

“Wha- What are you-?”

“Hush,” Kakuzu shushed him. The threads began sewing up Hidan’s more serious cuts, closing the gaping wounds and lacerations. “I can’t have you falling apart. These will heal faster this way.”

Hidan watched him for a second more and then turned away with a mumbled, “...Thanks.”

The word surprised him. So much so, Kakuzu paused in his doctoring and shifted his eyes on Hidan. He couldn’t see his face but the tip of his ear, it was tinged red. Kakuzu went back to patching Hidan up, unsure of how to respond but finding enough strength to mutter a couple of words. 

“No problem.”


	8. In Times of Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Candles

The altar brightened flame by flame as Hidan lit each candle. Outside of the fresh ones he had bought, there were several other candles, most of them older and melted nearly to the base. He wiped off the spider webs decorating the shrine, ignoring the rest that hung heavy with dust along the walls and corners. The neglect gave off an overall desolate feeling that irked Hidan. The other followers should have better cared for this sacred place.

It had taken a while to find the hidden Jashinist shrine and Kakuzu had complained the entirety of the search. They’d finally found it behind some overgrown vines, the carved out cave in the cliff face completely hidden from sight. Kakuzu had left him to it, saying something about making better use of his time. Hidan gauged that he had maybe an hour before his partner came back and now that he was here, he was going to make use of this closer connection to his Lord.

Slightly bowing his head, Hidan clasped his rosary with both hands. There was a lot he wanted to ask, to say, to heed to… Jashin was always listening but not always answering and he needed some guidance. Being in the presence of a shrine should help him properly hear his god.

In the softer volume he usually reserved when around Kakuzu, Hidan began his prayer. “Lord Jashin, I- wait!” He snapped up, realizing he was missing one key ingredient. 

The spear pierced through his hand not a moment later, the cold iron ripping through his palm and out the back. Hidan hissed at the pain at first but gradually the sensation gave way to the endorphins. There were old bloodstains on the stone and wood from previous devout followers who had done the same, though maybe not with their own blood. A sacrifice would have been better but Hidan was fresh out of those so his own pain would have to do. He raised his hand over the ledge of the altar, letting his blood drip down, pool, and then cascade over the edge. 

“Lord Jashin,” Hidan began again, clasping bloody fingers around the medallion of his necklace. “I normally only ask if you’ve received my sacrifices and forgiveness for not upholding my promises, but I _do_ try to kill as many and as often as I can. Circumstances sometimes don’t let me,” he growled out, Leader’s stupid pierced face appearing in his mind. Pushing that unwanted sight out of his thoughts, he returned to what he really wanted to focus on. “But I never ask for anything personal, ever. Which is why I’m asking now. I need… help understanding Kakuzu. Things have been… weird between us.” He went on explaining on how he was still trying to convert his partner and that Kakuzu would make a perfect disciple once he could get the man to give up his attachment to money. A minor obstacle, he assured his Lord. But then he delved into how Kakuzu’s behavior had changed and that he seemed more gentle. Hidan wasn’t sure if he liked this new version of Kakuzu; a quieter Kakuzu - in both sound and body. He supposed, as he rambled, that it was nice not having his prayers interrupted and that he’s been able to complete most of his rituals. There wasn’t much he could complain about that. But he did miss the raw fury and anger from his partner.

“Deidara says I pissed him off because of his soulmate mark,” Hidan mumbled, opening his eyes to the stained stone carved symbol of his faith. “Your commandments- they don’t mention anything about those. I know I’m supposed to be eternally yours, which I am, but I remember seeing some other followers bearing soulmate marks. How is it that I don’t have one? And if it’s meant to be you, then why not give me your name?” He knew he couldn’t carve it on his body himself - within a few days it would be gone. A tattoo, however, he’d never considered before. There was still a chance that it would fade in time but it couldn’t hurt to try. But his own missing mark wasn’t what he had really wanted to know.

Hidan sighed, the growing anxiety that he wasn’t going to receive a response becoming unbearable. “Kakuzu’s been… well not so distant anymore but something still feels off. _I_ feel off,” he clarified. He didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling other than different. Not in a good way, but not in a bad way. “I catch him staring at me sometimes,” Hidan mumbled, continuing on about his partner. “There’s not much going on that I can see and I haven’t called him out on it because I feel like that will just make things worse.” He straightened as his own words filled the missing piece to his puzzle. “And that’s just it!” he shouted at the stone carving. “I don’t want things to get worse between us! Like, I never used to care! About him or anyone! Just you, my Lord! But-” Hidan paused, the grip on his rosary growing tighter as he searched for the right thing to say. But what was there to say? Everything that was swirling around in his head went against the commandments. If Jashin didn’t know by now, then he was certainly condemning himself in confessing.

His mouth opened and closed a few more times before he finally admitted to Jashin... and himself. “But with Kakuzu, I’m finding it hard to hate him. Which means I have to kill him, but I don’t- Lord Jashin, I don’t want to!” Hidan went off on a tirade, assuring Jashin that he’d kill Kakuzu if He willed it but Akatsuki would see to stop him if Kakuzu didn’t rip him apart first. That led him to bargaining, explaining that the Akatsuki Leader would see to it that Hidan didn’t perform any rituals. Permanently. Which wouldn’t be in Jashin’s best interests so allowing Kakuzu to live was the better option. 

He waited for a response and when no voice or heavenly force of nature retaliated, Hidan took that as a sign of good will from Jashin. And it made him smile. “I don’t know what to do about Kakuzu, but if I don’t have to kill him, that’s fine with me.” He waited a moment and smiled a little wider at the lack of response. “Okay, I won’t kill him.” But then he frowned. “I still don’t know what to do though. He makes me feel weird. I’ve never wanted someone’s…” He trailed off. There was no way he could admit that he wanted Kakuzu’s attention. He was supposed to be fully invested to Jashin only. It was sacrilegious to devote his time to anything that wasn’t in Jashin’s will. And it was bad enough he had to follow Akatsuki’s orders.

“I will try not to disappoint you,” he announced instead.

>>>><<<< 

The hidden shrine Hidan had dragged him around to find took him an extra moment to find again. They had kept the overgrowth as was, his partner concerned that if someone from Yugakure discovered it they would destroy the shrine, but that made it, and ergo his partner, a little more difficult to locate. But with some more in depth searching, tracking, and what little chakra sensing abilities he possessed, he found the alcove.

Kakuzu brushed the vines aside, the eerie, soft glow in the back revealing a shadowed figure ahead. He stepped in enough to make his presence known but he wasn’t there to rush Hidan. Their job in the neighboring town was over and done with and for the time being with nothing else lined up, he supposed he could indulge Hidan this once.

A lot of candles had been lit, enough to create the teensiest amount of heat in an otherwise cold and damp hole. One candle should have been plenty and he advised Hidan as much, but for once his partner was also spending his own money so there wasn’t much he could protest. Arguing wasn’t worth the effort and a happy Hidan was (for the most part) a quiet Hidan. He still talked and rambled but it was mildly amusing nonsense that Kakuzu would gladly take any day over the usual shit that spewed from his mouth.

...Though lately, Hidan had been disturbingly lethargic. It was nice not having to quarrel or listen to him bitch and moan at every decision but it made Kakuzu wonder if his partner was losing his will to work. Hidan still fought with a feral fury but once the hype was over he returned to a less than enthusiastic mood. If Kakuzu didn’t know better, he’d almost say the fanatic was depressed.

It disgusted him that he was becoming concerned over Hidan’s mental state. The fact that Hidan _wasn’t_ acting like a raging psychopath should be a comfort. It meant missions went smoother, Leader wasn’t riding his ass about their lack of subtly, and they didn’t get into street fights with strangers because Hidan didn’t like the way someone looked at him. He shouldn’t be worried, and yet here he was, watching Hidan pray or commune or whatever it was that they came here for.

There was a slight sputtering sound from the wax burning and the sharp hisses every time Hidan muttered an ‘S’ under his breath. Kakuzu stood in the entrance, the vines brushing against his shoulder while he leaned against the wall.

It was a mesmerizing sight, despite himself thinking that. Still in the midst of praying, Hidan’s hair caught the candlelight, creating a glow along the crown of his head. Like a halo.

Turning slightly to speak over his shoulder, Hidan spoke in a smooth, low tone. “I’m almost done. Give me a few minutes to finish up.”

Kakuzu didn’t respond but he obliged Hidan’s request. It was unusual to hear his partner speak so regularly - almost like a monk giving an enlightening piece of wisdom while he meditates. Outside of speaking to the masses, it’s what he would expect a holy man to normally sound like. And in this setting, Hidan truly looked like a man of worship.

Knowing he’d been staring too long, Kakuzu slipped back out and leaned against the outer wall, crossing his arms while he waited. Outside he could hear even less (not that he was curious) but considering Hidan had been in his little cave for the better part of an hour, there couldn’t be much left for him to do. Still though, Kakuzu felt himself drifting, eyes sliding closed and his mind emptying. There hadn’t been much time to rest this past week so he’ll take it where he could.

True to his word, Kakuzu didn’t have to wait long. The rustling of vines roused him as Hidan exited and he slid his gaze to observe his partner. His left hand was bloodier than his right, the pendant also smeared with a few red stains wiped across his bare chest. There was a slight puffiness to his lips, like he’d been chewing them incessantly, and a smudge of blood in the corner. Kakuzu involuntarily swiped his thumb over the spot, startling them both.

Hidan’s eyes went wide with shock and confusion, his head snapping back once he registered what had happened. At the same time, Kakuzu jerked his hand away, unsure of what to make of his own movement. There was only a second to think and act so before Hidan could get a word out, Kakuzu’s hands fisted and he sharply turned away. “Clean yourself up better,” he very nearly growled. Or at least he attempted to growl. He wouldn’t dare let Hidan see his face, not with how warm he was feeling. 

Because he couldn’t tell if he was red from anger or embarrassment, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to find out.

Lost for words, Hidan stuttered for a moment, opting to make short cutoff sounds rather than anything resembling even part of a word. Not wanting to give the man a chance to say anything (because he honestly wasn’t sure how Hidan would retaliate) Kakuzu began walking, keeping his back to Hidan.

What Hidan _did_ manage to get out was a defeated sigh and a heaved, “Yeah… okay.”

That was fine- No, it was _better_ than fine. Hidan wasn’t going to say anything, Kakuzu wasn’t going to say anything; this incident will just fade away into nothing. Because it _was_ nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments, kudos, and praise! You guys are awesome!


	9. Boiling Blood and Tamed Offers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hexed!

The heart twinged painfully as the threads worked to integrate it. Kakuzu could feel them massing and squirming, worming under his skin and in between organs. This was always the worst part: converting a new heart. It took a lot of focus and chakra control to make sure he didn't overwhelm the new organ not to mention transferring it required a delicate hand. He's crushed one too many replacements while ripping them from chests.

Another spark of pain rippled through him, this time drawing a sharp groan. Hidan turned an inquisitive brow his way, opening his mouth with an amused smile, about to make some wise ass crack no doubt, but he hesitated, and then the smile faded with whatever he had planned to say. It was about time Hidan learned when it was and wasn’t appropriate to infuriate him. Pissing Kakuzu off now could result in sending the new heart into shock and if he couldn't manage to save it, he'd have to find _another_ replacement.

The last reaches of the integration fell into place, the heart finding residence as his new wind mask. All five of the hearts took a moment to synchronize before four of them stabilized into background static, the main one not assigned to a mask resuming its duty as the primary.

Hidan circled around him, Kakuzu not paying him much mind as his body quieted. The last recesses of pulsing subsided and he took a breath, deep and relaxing. Or as relaxing as it could be once Hidan opened his mouth.

“I can’t believe you’ve been such a dick over something so tiny.”

Kakuzu turned an ear over his shoulder, unsure of what the man behind him was griping about now. With Hidan it could be anything but he had a sinking feeling he should know. He shifted, skin itching, feeling vulnerable. Something was missing - no, he was _forgetting_ something.

“I mean, for fuck’s sake,” Hidan went on, “are you seriously heartbroken?”

_Heartbroken? What the hell is he-_ Kakuzu stiffened. _No. No, he isn’t-_

“Over something so dumb,” he scoffed, and then in a more calming voice, continued, “Lord Jashin could be your soulmate. Forget about whoever this belongs to.” Hidan dragged the tips of his fingers down Kakuzu’s back, jolting him into action.

A red haze had settled over his vision, and when it cleared he had Hidan shoved into the dirt, fingers digging into his throat. “Why?! _Why?!_ Why does it have to be _you!”_ Kakuzu snarled through clenched teeth, shaking Hidan some to emphasize his anger. “You put this… this _curse_ on me! I was free! Nobody owned me! But then _you_ had to come along and ruin my life!” 

Hidan was turning a deep red, nails scraping into Kakuzu’s wrists, trying to pull him off. He had even tried shoving a knee up to knock him off but Kakuzu was straddling his hips, preventing him from making a successful enough movement. He wasn’t breathing well, all things considered. Hidan can still talk and yell even after being cut to pieces, lungs impaled, throat ripped out. But when he was whole, his body still in working order, he could still be silenced. It was something Kakuzu usually found fascinating when he wasn’t this pissed off.

_“Kak-! Fuckin-! ...Shhphuck!”_

Kakuzu must not be strangling him hard enough if he could still speak but was delighted to see the lack of grinning. Hidan wasn’t enjoying this. He tightened his grip, wondering what else he could do to maim Hidan but more importantly, how much more power does he need to just completely crush through his neck?

His partner gave up his useless attempt to pry Kakuzu off and began pathetically beating at his arms with fists. The deep red of Hidan’s struggling face was becoming a lovely shade of purple and he could no longer form words. Music to Kakuzu’s ears. 

All Hidan had to do was keep his mouth shut. Forget about the soulmate mark on his back or even better, soulmates in general. Then they could go back to barely getting along. Back to being partners forced to work together. Back to killing without discretion.

Really, this was partially his own fault for not foreseeing this, much to his chagrin. He hadn’t thought Hidan would figure out that it was a soulmate mark, much less assume he was heartbroken. If he hadn’t taken his cloak off to integrate the new heart things probably wouldn’t have ended up this way. Then again, if Hidan had just remained as blissfully stupid as he was expected to be, Kakuzu wouldn’t feel the need to be in this much turmoil.

If there was someone to blame it was probably that idiot, Deidara. Hidan had spent too much time with that brat for it to be a coincidence that he suddenly knew the kana on his back was the mark of his soulmate. It would have been so much easier if he’d played along that it was an unfinished tattoo like Hidan had first theorized. But unfortunately, it was too late to make that play.

The feeble attempts to break free grew weaker until Hidan made one last ditch effort to pry him off. His grip became feather light, the pads of his fingers sliding off of Kakuzu’s arms as his eyes began to roll to the back of his head. Deciding that waiting for Hidan to regain consciousness or be forced to carry him would be too much of a hassle, Kakuzu, begrudgingly, released him.

Hidan gasped, ragged and wheezing as air finally filled his lungs. He rolled onto his side, choking on air and clutching at his predictably sore throat. The purple hue to his face morphed to red, the thick protruding veins reducing in size. Several times Hidan attempted to curse him out but every half spoken word was followed by a series of coughing and gagging. It was so bad he even dry-heaved a couple of times before he was able to get most of his breathing under control.

In the meantime, Kakuzu fetched his cloak, throwing it on and zipping it up. Now more than ever did he need it. In his rage he’d practically exposed that they were soulmates (he wasn’t even sure what he’d said before he’d come back to reality), though from the sounds of it, Hidan hadn’t quite put together that his name and the kana on Kakuzu’s back were one in the same nor did Hidan seem to be aware of his own mark. But if Hidan hadn't touched him he wouldn’t have reacted so violently. His partner was stupid but every now and then he got his wits about him and being exposed to Hidan’s suddenly scrutinizing gaze unnerved him. And he didn’t like how vulnerable it made him feel.

“You-” Hidan broke off into more coughing. “...fucking piece of shit!” By now his skin was just flushed save for the angry red around his throat. In a few hours it’ll be a lovely bruise. “What’s your fucking problem?!”

Growling through his teeth, Kakuzu took a threatening step forward but Hidan, unsatisfyingly, didn’t even flinch. “Don’t touch me.”

“Touch you?! You’re pissed ‘cuz I _touched_ you?!” The look of utter disbelief on his face made Kakuzu hesitate and his stomach drop. “No, that’s-” Hidan stumbled to his feet while cursing under his breath. “That’s- that’s not it! You’re pissed ‘cuz you’re a pussy crying over a stupid soulmate mark!” He spread his arms wide. “Who gives a fuck?! I was trying to be nice! Trying to help you find relief in Lord Jashin! And you- …_ you-!”_ He broke into another fit of coughing, rubbing his tender throat until it cleared up and he could speak again. “You fucking lost your mind! The fuck were you even screaming about?”

Kakuzu straightened his shoulders. Had Hidan not heard a word he’d said in his uncontrolled rage? If that’s what was happening right now he needed to take advantage. “I was warning you to never touch me again.”

That obnoxious mouth opened in preparation to retaliate but amazingly, Hidan stopped himself. Kakuzu could see him actually think for a moment, eyes darting to the ground, a snarl twisting his face as he muttered too low for Kakuzu to hear. Then he met him with a narrowed-eyed glare and set jaw. “Fine. Lie to me and yourself.” He dusted himself off, trying and failing to suppress his coughs. 

Kakuzu watched him, mildly panicking on what Hidan knew. 

“The one fuckin’ time I try to help you and you fucking lose your shit,” Hidan mumbled. He then looked to the sky, his voice growing in volume as he conversed with his god. “This is what I get, isn’t it? I ask for something and I get fucked. Are you sure you should have given me this, Lord Jashin?” He paused for a moment, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck. “I know, I know. But he’s just-” Hidan stopped, casting another glare Kakuzu’s way before turning back around. “I know I said I could convince him but…”

“Convince me of _what?”_

Hidan whirled around and snarled, “Don’t interrupt!” Kakuzu took another step closer and with a deeper growl, repeated his question. Rolling his eyes, Hidan scoffed. “You really wanna know? I asked Jashin to accept you, or rather, seeing as how we’re stuck together, it’d be easier if _you’d_ just accept Jashin.” He yanked his cloak back up his shoulders, giving Kakuzu his back. “I _thought_ maybe you were starting to see the benefits of being a follower. He _can_ help you.” He paused for a moment, and then turned, holding out his hand. Never before had Hidan appeared so serene and serious and _never_ was he this calm after a fight with anyone. “Forget about your soulmate and let Jashin be your guide.”

This _wasn’t_ happening. Hidan was passively trying to enlist him? No shouting or preaching, just a friendly offer? This man really was a living curse sent here to torture him. 

“I…” But why wasn’t his mouth working? He wasn’t- No, no. He didn’t- “... I don’t need your god,” Kakuzu finally managed to say. But even to him he sounded unsure.

Hidan took his hand back, a slight frown creasing the corners of his mouth. “Fine. Maybe not now, but would you consider it in the future?”

“I don’t… _Why?”_

He was met with a half shrug. “I don’t know. I just-” Hidan suddenly closed his mouth and though the majority of his face had returned to normal, a rosiness had returned to his cheeks and ears. He shook his head and finished with less emotion. “I just thought I’d make the offer.” Yet again he faced the other way, hands shoved deep into his pants pockets and snarkily added, “We doin’ anything with these bodies or what?”

Blinking did very little to snap Kakuzu out of his shock but Hidan’s inquiry on the bodies strewn about were enough of a distraction. They hadn’t been hunting but were jumped. One of them was worth something, his heart now nestled in his chest, but the price on his head wasn’t enough for his greed to take over. “... No, let the buzzards have them.”

Hidan rolled his head, sucking in a breath as he froze for a second. Then, stiffly, he straightened and cleared his throat. “Well, let’s get going then.”


	10. Repentance Reveals the Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the prompt: Fight or ___!

It took a few hours for Kakuzu to regret strangling Hidan. The deep black and blue bruise on his neck made him wince, fully knowing that it had to be painful. He had stared at his hands that night, wondering how he could have done such a thing and then grew angry at the thought. Doing that to anyone, especially Hidan, just came naturally and never bothered him before now. This god damn soulmate bullshit was messing with his head and Hidan’s sudden revelation to not be a constant thorn in his side wasn’t helping.

At the forty-eight hour mark, the bruise was nearly gone. Kakuzu’s focus wouldn’t stray far, primarily remaining on Hidan’s neck. Only a marbling of brown remained and that wouldn’t last the remainder of the day. But the discoloration no longer garnered his attention - the nape where part of Kakuzu’s name lied did.

He was still trying to deny this reality. A _soulmate; _one he not only didn’t have until recently, but had actually been unknowingly partnered with. The chances were just so unbelievable it almost seemed to be from a romance novel. And that was an issue all in itself.

From their first meeting Kakuzu had always felt a strange magnetic pull towards Hidan. At first he thought it was the much younger man’s obtained immortality. Envy, maybe. He tried reasoning their differences. Outside of the inability to die, Hidan’s immortality was rather useless unlike the Earth Grudge Fear that gave Kakuzu the ability of longevity _and_ an arsenal. But death was still a real possibility for him, whereas Hidan, well, Kakuzu had yet to figure out how to kill him. So that was all he chocked that inexplicable pull towards Hidan to be: envy towards a near perfect immortality.

But then the little shit had found the mark on his back and out of stupid curiosity, Kakuzu had finally learned the name on Hidan’s neck. That one moment had revealed more than just a simple magnetation: they were _destined_ for each other.

And now they were sharing a room at a rather fancy looking inn. He wasn’t sure why he’d splurged- no, he took that back. He _knew_ why. Normally when they fought, he never regretted his actions; not when Hidan was just as much of an asshole or in most cases, the one who had started the fight. But in this incident, Hidan _hadn’t_ intended to fight, he _hadn’t_ enjoyed the pain, and he’d kept his anger under control. It put Kakuzu in a worse light and a worse mood. The guilt for that bruise on his partner’s neck was eating at him, making him lose his appetite, sleep, and his temper around the general public. So he reasoned he’d make amends without actually saying so by stopping at inns and restaurants instead of camping in the woods.

This was their second stop in a row - Hidan better appreciate it.

“I’m going out to eat. You comin’?”

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes at his partner. He wasn’t planning on going anywhere tonight once they’d settled, opting that they’d just clean up for the night and rest. Food hadn’t been on his mind since this morning and it had been some time since they’d last eaten anything proper. Still though, he wasn’t hungry enough to grace the locals with his patronage but Hidan apparently was and that could pose a problem.

“That depends; are you going to cause trouble?”

The shinobi presence in this town wasn’t an amount that worried Kakuzu. He’d spotted a few Shimo headbands here and there and this close to the border with the Land of Hot Water (Yugakure demilitarized or not) could mean a certain loud mouthed attention seeker of a partner being recognized. Not likely, but it still felt too public and Hidan seemed to have a penchant for finding trouble. 

Hidan shrugged. “I’m not gonna look for it but if some shit stain is asking for it who am I not to give it to him?” In other words, one wrong look and Hidan was throwing fists.

Kakuzu exhaled, rising off the edge of the bed knowing he should probably prevent Hidan from going out at all but instead resigning himself to babysitting anyways. “Let’s go. I assume you already have a place in mind? I’m not wasting money on a room for us not to be using it.”

“‘Course I do,” Hidan snarkily returned. “That bar around the corner.”

A growl rumbled through him but he kept his mouth shut. Alcohol wasn’t food but an argument would just delay the inevitable.

>>>><<<< 

They were three and a half bottles of saké in when Kakuzu decided to call it quits. It was a shame; Hidan was actually enjoying the company and didn’t want the night to end. Kakuzu, for once, was willing to engage in conversation even if he said very little, and had drunk more than him, though there was little sign that it was affecting him any. Maybe it was the perk of having multiple hearts. Kakuzu was hardly even flushed but he did sway a little as he stood.

On the other hand, Hidan’s face was burning with heat and his head certainly felt like it was floating. He still swiped another bottle after he chugged the remainders of the last one, taking it with him back to their room as he sluggishly caught up to Kakuzu.

He giggled as he tripped into the room, and after failing to conceal his laughter at Kakuzu’s bemused look, he burst out into a fit of howling.

“You’re drunk,” Kakuzu stated plainly.

Once he could regain some of his composure, he chuckled, “Pft! And you’re not?” Hidan swayed his way over to him and reached out a hand. His grin fell as Kakuzu caught his wrist and glared. “Ha. Right,” Hidan scoffed, then feeling the humor of it all return, he giggled and leaned closer. “You don’t like being _touched.”_ He let gravity do the work for him, falling into Kakuzu’s personal space. Hearing the man growl only furthered his unstoppable laughter even after he landed hard on his back onto the floor. 

Kakuzu had his arms pinned beside his head and although he still had that stupid mask on Hidan could tell he was snarling. Smirking to himself, Hidan brought his knee up, knocking Kakuzu forwards which gave him the opportune moment to snake his legs through Kakuzu’s and flip their positions. “Bring it, old man!” Hidan goaded, slamming his partner’s wrists onto the floor.

With a deep rumble, Kakuzu shoved back and the pair wrestled on the ground, elbows and knees colliding with the floor and furniture. They both refrained from punching and kicking, opting instead to shove open palms into faces and fisting clothes to keep the other from escaping. It was uncoordinated and sloppy but perhaps the tamest fight they’d ever engaged in.

They reached a stalemate; Kakuzu’s large hand shoved into Hidan’s cheek and jaw, his other gripping Hidan’s wrist where his hand was twisted up in Kakuzu’s shirt. Hidan’s free hand was holding onto Kakuzu’s collar, trying to pull the man towards him while he kneeled over him. They were both grunting and growling, twitching slightly as they each tested one another’s holds. Then Kakuzu managed to slip a leg out from under Hidan and kicked him off.

Flat on his back, Hidan glanced briefly to see if Kakuzu was going to make any further retaliations but seeing the man unmoving, he relaxed into the floor. Hidan rested a moment, breaths becoming less harsh and more controlled. He couldn’t believe he and Kakuzu had just fought like siblings. A bruise or two was probably the most damage either of them would sustain and Hidan found it more exhilarating than their normal fights. It was probably the alcohol making him feel this way but he couldn’t deny that it wasn’t fun.

Hidan tried to hold it in, he really did, but soon he was laughing uncontrollably. Kakuzu smacked him and told him to stop being so loud but it only made Hidan pause his cackling for a second.

Once it finally subsided, save for the few chuckles that spasmed through him, Hidan sat up, rubbing his stomach. It had been a long while since he’d laughed so hard that it was painful. A quick glimpse towards Kakuzu showed the man wasn’t nearly as amused but at least he didn’t look pissed.

Hidan got to his feet, stumbling slightly but regaining his balance with ease. Kakuzu watched him from the floor. It seemed odd that he hadn’t made an attempt to get up and Hidan almost opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. Their current standing with each other was unknown. Kakuzu’s little outburst the other day had certainly been… something. He’d usually say it brought back a sense of normalcy but Kakuzu’s reaction had been anything but.

Shaking his head (which he immediately regretted), Hidan snatched up the saké bottle and headed to the bathroom. This place sure was fancy and had to cost Kakuzu some of the thickness to his wallet. He idly wondered from the moment they walked towards the building to setting their equipment down in the room if Kakuzu was feeling all right. They never stayed anywhere remotely this nice and the fact that the private bathroom had a separate shower stall slash tub was something Hidan had never seen before. Of course, he was going to make use of all of it, but he couldn’t quite enjoy it fully.

>>>><<<< 

About a quarter of the bottle remained by the time Hidan decided he’d spent enough time in the shower. He stumbled out of the tub, yanking a towel off the provided rack and rubbing it through his hair before wrapping it around his waist. The tri fold mirror was fogged but once he rubbed it away he began inspecting his throat. The bruising was almost completely gone and no new ones seem to have appeared from his little tussle with Kakuzu.

It really had been a tame fight. Alcohol should have had the opposite reaction: Kakuzu should have just been angrier and beaten the tar out of him. But somehow it had been almost playful - if he was even allowed to think that.

Hidan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, letting all rogue thoughts be pushed to the side. Questioning Kakuzu’s behavior would just end up confusing the hell out of him.

Pants on, Hidan rubbed the towel one last time through his hair when something caught his eye. He did a double take at his reflection, leaning heavily over the sink as he rubbed at the dark spot on the back of his neck. No matter how much he scratched at it, it wasn’t coming off. Hidan brushed his hair out of the way and angled the mirrors to get a better look. It almost looked like writing, and if he hadn’t known better, it was akin to a tattoo.

… A tattoo… Like a soulmate mark!

Hidan nearly ripped the mirror off the wall to get a closer look, angling himself and the mirrors so he could read it. It was almost unbelievable; to think he actually had one, hidden this whole time! Maybe this was why Jashin never responded to his request; his god found his questioning redundant - all Hidan had to do was look harder.

The excitement quickly dulled as he made out the kana, finding himself confused as to why it looked nothing like Jashin’s name. He thought for sure that it would be something related to his god. But what was it that Deidara had said? That it was only a part of a name? It was then that his heart sped up for a different reason.

_Kaku,_ he read. _As in… Kakuzu?_ He glanced nervously at the door as if thinking his name would summon the man. Then he gave the mark another good rub just to make sure. But to no avail.

Calculating his next move, Hidan braced against the sink. Should he pretend he hadn’t found it? Confront Kakuzu, or, at the very least, read what’s on his back first? He wished he could remember what the kana was. Maybe he should confer with Jashin first.

...Unless this was Jashin answering his prayers. He _had_ asked to allow Kakuzu to live pending he could get the man to swear fealty to Jashin. If branding Kakuzu’s name onto him was Jashin’s blessing, then maybe that was all the answer he needed.

Feeling confident that this was Jashin’s will, Hidan exited the bathroom and announced excitedly, “Oi, Kakuzu!” The smile faded with his voice as he took in the man sitting on the edge of farthest bed. Kakuzu was staring at him, hands loose between his legs, mask alarmingly not in place. Hidan snapped his mouth shut and decided that he could wait a little longer on finding out if Kakuzu would accept Jashin. And, _fuck,_ forget even mentioning soulmates - that just seemed to trigger Kakuzu into attacking. 

Yeah... perhaps when he was sober and could defend himself better… then he would ask.

Playing it off, Hidan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Never mind, I forgot what I was going to say.” Without fully turning his back on his partner, Hidan moved to what he figured was his bed and pulled back the covers. He tensed and spun around not a second later, instinctively reacting to Kakuzu’s movements. His partner doesn’t move too quickly but the almost threatening step closer puts Hidan on the defensive. “What - You wanna fuckin’ fight?” The saké is still coursing through him, causing Hidan to sway a little as he readies for an attack. Kakuzu closes the gap in just two more painfully slow steps, his eyes appearing unfocused, glazed over from the alcohol no doubt. Hidan isn’t sure what to expect - he’s never seen Kakuzu drunk before and he still wasn’t sure what to make of their little wrestling match from earlier.

The movement isn’t fast but Hidan was still slow to react as he’s shoved backwards onto the bed. Instinctively, he opens his mouth to curse and spit fury, gets about two words out before he’s being shushed with a hand silencing him.

Kakuzu’s over him, speaking slowly with a slight slur. “Just… stop talking. Just for a minute.”

Uncertain, Hidan made a sound from the back of his throat, not agreeing, but not fighting his partner either. He isn’t really sure what’s going on - this was completely new territory. At the moment, Kakuzu was unpredictable, not that anything the man did recently made sense but at least Hidan had a general idea of what to expect. Not this time. And for a split second he considered biting Kakuzu’s hand but their positioning put him at a disadvantage. He decided to keep his mouth shut and let whatever was happening unfurl.

And he certainly had to wait. Silence passed between them with nothing-extraordinary happening except the hand coming off his mouth. It did give him the opportunity to study the stitching normally hidden behind the mask and he found it fascinating. Kakuzu’s mouth was split all the way to his ears, the cheeks sewn shut by thick threads. There were a few wrinkles and creases around his unique eyes, making him appear older but not showing how old he actually was. And Kakuzu was _old._ Ancient, really.

Hidan found himself anxious at their proximity. Kakuzu’s eyes are searching his face, flicking down and up, meeting Hidan’s gaze briefly before looking down again. He swallowed apprehensively and tensed as Kakuzu’s hand slid over his cheek and stayed there. Even through the skin of Kakuzu’s hand was rough, the touch was gentle.

Pulse quickening, Hidan was frozen, eyes locked onto his partner. They were so close - _growing_ _closer_. The man who claimed he didn’t like to be touched was being a _huge_ hypocrite right now as his thumb slowly stroked Hidan’s cheek. Hidan could feel Kakuzu’s breaths - which were frustratingly in control compared to his own.

This was the part where Kakuzu suddenly slams Hidan’s face into the floor, right? This was just some new ploy to lure Hidan in close so he could beat the shit out of him, wasn’t it? Kakuzu had tricked him similarly in the past so he wouldn’t put it past him.

And yet, why does it feel like Kakuzu was going to kiss him?

And why wasn’t Hidan opposed to it?

His attention is suddenly drawn to Kakuzu’s lips and wondering what they feel like. What they taste like. Would he feel the stitches? He very much wanted to find out.

But before his thoughts could go any further, clarity returned to Kakuzu’s eyes and he pulls away, leaving Hidan in a confused state. Not a word is exchanged as Kakuzu heads to the bathroom and the only thing between them now is a door and the sound of the shower running.

Hidan isn’t sure how long he’s been lying halfway off the bed but when he snaps out of his daze he covers his mouth with a hand. “What the _fuck?”_ he whispered to himself. _Had I seriously wanted to kiss Kakuzu?!_ Panic started to settle in and he glanced nervously at the bathroom door. _And what the fuck was _that? he internally questioned, remembering that Kakuzu was the first to make a move. _Kakuzu_ was the one who looked ready to kiss _him._

With his mind a tangled mess, Hidan paced for a moment before switching off the lights. He needed to get his thoughts in order before confronting Kakuzu and he couldn’t do that right now. Not with the saké still coursing through his and _clearly_ Kakuzu’s veins. Then again, sober or not, things were bound to end in disaster. That’s just the way things were between them.

Kakuzu didn’t leave the bathroom until Hidan was way past settled (but not really) in bed. The light from the bathroom switched off and Hidan remained motionless, pretending to be asleep. He probably wasn’t fooling the man but he really wasn’t prepared for any conversation, civilized or otherwise.

He heard Kakuzu pause at the end of his bed and for a brief moment, he thought he was about to be thrown across the room. It’s happened twice before though circumstances had been different. Vastly different.

Cracking an eye open, Hidan watched as Kakuzu continued to the bed across from him and climbed under the blankets. His back was to him, the top two masks staring at him with soulless voids. The mark was right between them; he could see it he just couldn’t read it.

It was too tempting to get out of the bed and risk physical harm. Kakuzu would probably throw him through the floor considering how badly he snapped the last time. Frustrated, Hidan rolled over, pulling the covers up to his ears. Tomorrow… Tomorrow he’ll get the answers he needed.


	11. Undeniable Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Shared Secret

As was expected, Kakuzu was up first, already dressed and ready by the time he rudely awakened Hidan. At least he had bought breakfast, waiting long enough for Hidan to sit up on the floor before tossing a wrapped package into his lap. Food distracted him long enough to eat most of the sweet bun in silent comfort until he realized he’d missed his opportunity to learn Kakuzu’s soulmate. He had _planned_ to wake up early and read the name but it seemed his self appointed mission was going to take a little longer.

For a second Kakuzu met his eyes before he turned his attention back to his bingo book, saying a deceivingly calm, “What?” while he flipped to the next page.

Hidan snapped his mouth shut and swallowed. Since he’d just woken up it made sense that the events of last night hadn’t yet caught up with him (the slight hangover doing him no favors), but was Kakuzu really just going to pretend nothing had happened? Unless his partner had actually been blackout drunk. It seemed unlikely, but Hidan had never seen him drunk to any degree and he certainly didn’t appear hungover. He shuddered just to imagine how disastrous that would be. His short fuse wouldn’t even exist.

“Don’t you have something other than me to stare at?” Kakuzu growled. He fixed Hidan with a cold glare, the grip on his book tightening.

Pursing his lips, Hidan looked to his bun. Should he…? _Wait, no! Distract him first!_ He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Just wondering what the plan is for today.”

This seemed to relax Kakuzu, his posture loosening and the threatening glint in his eyes disappearing altogether. “Leader hasn’t assigned us anything but there’s a twenty million bounty nearby that I want to go after.”

Feigning interest, Hidan nodded. “Right. Cool. Of course. Twenty Million is a lot.” Kakuzu hummed in suspicious agreement, eyes lingering on him for a moment before returning to his book. Nervous, Hidan scratched at the back of his head, pausing the movement for a second to feel the smooth skin of his nape. He couldn’t feel it, but he knew it was there. 

It hadn’t been an alcohol-induced dream – that much he was sure of. If he went into the bathroom right now the mark would still be there and it would still read the first half of his partner’s name: the kana for _kaku._

Hidan grimaced at the decision he came to, knowing full well that it was going to be ration bars and hand-caught fish and the cold hard ground from now on. “So… Um… Last night-”

Kakuzu stood so suddenly it made him flinch. “We’re wasting time dawdling,” he growled, snapping his book shut and pocketing it. “Twenty million isn’t going to catch itself.” 

Hidan tried searching for a sign – anything to give him an opening to discuss the events of last night and, hell, maybe even the past few months, but Kakuzu was avoiding eye contact as he stalked towards the door. The cold expanse of his covered back and the anger rolling off of him was answer enough. Money wasn’t why Kakuzu was irritated: he remembered last night.

Or rather, had hoped Hidan hadn’t.

He flinched again as Kakuzu snapped at him to hurry up. _Damn_, he was jumpy. When did pissing Kakuzu off stop being fun? He was sure it was sometime around when things got weird between them. He kind of missed the days when they fought.

Shoving the squashed remains of the bun into his mouth, Hidan scrambled off the floor and grabbed his cloak and scythe. “I’m coming. _Fuck,_ you’re in a bad mood,” he grumbled, throwing everything on. Kakuzu was already out of the room, walking with a little more speed than usual down the hall. Hidan growled, clicking his tongue. “Fuckin’ prick. It’s not _my_ fault you nearly kissed me,” he muttered under his. Sending a glare his partner’s way, he swore to himself. “I’ll get you to talk to me. I’ll take a heart or two if that’s what it takes.”

>>>><<<< 

_“Urk!”_ Hidan narrowly avoided the uppercut, the tip of the blade just nicking his throat. He grabbed the wound hastily, feeling the blood seep under his fingers. One handed, Hidan brought the scythe up to defend, snarling as the bounty came at him again. That had been too close and like _hell_ he was going to be made a fool of.

The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly rose and something moved in behind him. He sneered at the look of fear the missing nin gave the creature behind him and took a step back. Not a second later, the Lightning Mask sent out a crackling bolt and the Wind Mask circled around for another assault.

Seizing the opportunity, Hidan rushed to Kakuzu, a hand still clutching his throat as he (not quite) asked, “Fix this for me, will ya.” His partner glared with a frustrated growl but nodded and motioned him over. Hidan tilted his head back, exposing his throat. Kakuzu’s threads weren’t gentle, digging into his skin and pulling the cut closed. His wincing didn’t go unnoticed but surprisingly Kakuzu didn’t call him out on it.

“You’re going to get yourself hacked to pieces if you keep this up. He isn’t worth twenty million for nothing,” Kakuzu scolded.

Was there a tiny bit of concern to Kakuzu’s tone? Just thinking about it sent his stomach aflutter but he wasn’t allowed to delve too much into that.

Kakuzu twisted on his heel, raising an arm to block the offending kunai. Their target had successfully evaded the two masks and was rushing right towards them, probably assuming that if he took out Kakuzu, the masks would cease functioning. Too bad that was the move that would end this fight sooner because as the knives clattered to the ground and the darkened skin receded, Kakuzu was beside the missing nin in a flash.

Hidan pursed his lips while he watched from the sidelines, bored. Kakuzu had switched entirely to hand-to-hand combat, the masks only engaging as support to keep the bounty from running. He considered helping but he also knew that once Kakuzu became physically involved in a fight he tended to like finishing it. He supposed he didn’t have much choice but to sit and wait or else become a ‘_hindrance’_ as Kakuzu liked to call him when he was pissed off.

Several minutes passed by before Kakuzu found an opening and thrust a hardened hand through the nin’s chest. The shout of pain was abruptly cut off and the water jutsu he had started to perform fizzled out, crashing back to the ground with a splash. Kakuzu ripped his arm out of the body, blood splattering across the puddle while their dead target fell back with a heavy smack.

Eyeing the body and the rapidly pinkening water, Hidan stepped in beside Kakuzu. His partner was breathing heavily, still coming off that battle high. The bounty had certainly put up a good fight, even managing a few cuts on Kakuzu which Hidan knew from experience was not an easy thing to do.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he quickly glanced at the mark on Kakuzu’s back, then fleetingly to make sure his partner wasn’t paying him any attention. He only had one shot and he _had_ to make it count.

In the split second Kakuzu stepped to inspect the body, Hidan sprung into action. Kakuzu barely managed a startled grunt as he was tackled into the muddy ground, an arm pinned to his back and Hidan straddling his waist. Hidan pulled the skin between Kakuzu’s shoulder blades, trying to read the kana he’d smeared with blood while his partner struggled.

“What are you-”

_“Hi,” [read ‘He’]_ Hidan breathed out slowly. Under him, Kakuzu stilled. “That’s my-”

With a squawk of surprise, Hidan flailed as Kakuzu suddenly launched upwards, knocking him back. He rolled with the momentum, pushing up onto his feet and bringing his fists up for defense. Kakuzu had whirled around in that same instant but he looked less ready to fight and more ready to run.

Realization hit Hidan hard. “You knew…” he whispered. Kakuzu’s already wide eyes grew wider. “How long ha-_ack-”_ He choked on his words as Kakuzu’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the throat sending him backwards into the ground. The impact sent a sharp pain to the back of his head, disorienting him for a moment. Kakuzu stepped closer, still looking fearful but trying to mask it with anger, the threads squirming as his arm came together. 

Determined and a little pissed, one hand on his throat wasn’t nearly enough to pacify Hidan. Out of sheer willpower, he managed to choke out a few words. “Last night, you tried-”

Kakuzu made short work in shutting him up, dropping down to his knees and straddling Hidan, bringing up his other hand to his throat. “Stop talking,” he threatened, emphasizing it with a squeeze.

Struggling for air, Hidan pulled at the hands gripping his throat but logically he knew he didn’t have the strength to break free. Kakuzu was just too strong and he was bound for a repeat of the other day; though this time he doubted Kakuzu would grow a conscious and stop.

Giving up on prying Kakuzu off, Hidan reached a hand up, trying to grab hold of his shirt, mask, headgear… _anything!_ Kakuzu was just barely out of reach, the tips of his fingers scarcely touching the cloth hiding his face. Hidan grit his teeth and gurgled out a growl while he struggled. He just wanted it gone, wanted to see the man’s emotions, see if he was smiling or scowling under that mask.

Confusion flickered across the green eyes, the taut shoulders and elbows sagging as he regarded Hidan carefully, curious on what he was trying to accomplish. The grip on his neck didn’t lesson but the loosened stance gave Hidan the golden opportunity to lurch forwards and grab the mask. He ripped it off, tugging Kakuzu down with the same motion and unveiling an angrier version of his partner with lips curled back in a vicious snarl and teeth bared threateningly. But Hidan wasn’t afraid.

With a trembling hand, he traced the thick wiry stitches of his partner’s cheek, dragging his fingers down the split. Kakuzu’s lips were now pressed tight, the muscles in his jaw and neck flexing, his eyes searching Hidan. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen that was drawing him to those lips, but he let his fingers drift over them, finding them surprisingly soft. 

Kakuzu recoiled, his grasp loosening enough for Hidan to breathe fractionally better and the sudden realization that he could took precedence. He went back to pulling at Kakuzu’s wrists and when that failed, he looked around for an opening, finding it. Kakuzu was no longer pinning his waist down, leaving a sizable gap – a gap big enough to take advantage of. In two seconds, Hidan had their positions reversed (with the exclusion of choking Kakuzu out), his hands instead fisting his shirt and leaning over him dangerously.

In his peripheral, the two masks lumbered closer but they didn’t intervene. Hidan still wasn’t sure how they operated but he was pretty damn confident that if Kakuzu wanted them to attack, they would. And because of that, Hidan had the silent permission to continue.

He loomed over Kakuzu and calmly asked, “How long have you known?” The stunned gaze quickly hardened into a glare, the twitch of his nose threatening an outburst. But he remained quiet and Hidan had enough. He repeated his question through clenched teeth. “How _long_ have you known?”

“You’re imagining things-”

“LIAR!” Hidan screamed, shaking Kakuzu roughly. The shocked expression did nothing to deter him. “How long?! How. _Long?!”_ Kakuzu tried repeating what he’d said but Hidan cut him off. “I’m _not_ imagining things! I only found out last night but _you’ve_ known for _months, _haven’t you?” Hidan hissed. “This whole time that you’ve been acting weird is because you knew. You _knew_ that the name on your back was mine and the one on me was yours. And then you tried to kiss me-”

“I didn’t-”

“You thought about it! Don’t deny it!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, so shut up!” Kakuzu snarled.

Hidan defied him, yanking Kakuzu up by his shirt. “No! I’m sick of being quiet! I want to know why you-” He suddenly found himself on his back. Again. Except this time Kakuzu had his fists curled up in Hidan’s cloak, knuckles digging into skin.

_“Shut. Up,”_ his partner growled slowly, laced with a menacing warning that indicated bodily harm. Not that Hidan was the least bit intimidated.

He glared up at the man and grabbed him by the collar, tugging him close. “Not until you tell me what stopped you.”

Some of the wrinkles contorting Kakuzu’s face smoothed out while his eyes flicked back and forth like he was caught off guard. But then his eyes narrowed. “Stopped me from what?”

Hidan winced as the knuckles pressed further into his ribs but the fact that Kakuzu hadn’t absolutely lost his shit yet meant that he was listening and that gave Hidan hope. “From kissing me,” he answered coolly, fingers loosening their grip. Adrenaline was still flowing through him from the fight with the bounty, amplifying the anticipation of confronting his partner. Letting go seemed like the opposite of what he should do but at this point he was allowing instinct to take over, submitting to the urges he had felt last night in the hopes that Kakuzu didn’t pulverize him into a pulp. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but hopefully something more that just words were exchanged.

Kakuzu was quiet, the anger, uncharacteristically, subsiding. As of late, it was becoming very common to see his partner look lost and having difficulty forming the right words. What came out always seemed to be denial and this time wasn’t any different. Kakuzu averted his gaze, which was as much of an admission as telling the truth. “For the last time, I wasn’t going to…”

Hidan didn’t hear the rest as he surged upwards, seizing Kakuzu’s headdress and pulling them closer. Without the mask Hidan could fully taste him as he forced a kiss, Kakuzu too taken by surprise to resist. And his lips _were_ soft. He had expected them to be rough like the rest of his skin and to taste awful. Kakuzu _was_ an old man who repeatedly replaced organs; the scent of death just seemed like an expectation. But he was surprisingly normal. A little coppery, but normal.

He pulled back a little, their noses brushing. _This_ was what he wanted. _This _was what Hidan had hoped for last night. He couldn’t help but be drawn to the man but as he moved to kiss Kakuzu again, he was sharply tugged backwards by the hair. Hidan cried out from the pain, growling as he tried to resist but Kakuzu held firm, a look of determination on his face.

Fine. If that’s how he was going to play this, Hidan was going to be equally difficult. He tightened his grip on the headscarf and pulled. In response, Kakuzu’s grip in his hair tightened and did the same. A headache was starting to form in the back of Hidan’s skull but he refused to give in. Everything had to be difficult with this man but if they could agree on one thing, it was that Hidan was annoyingly perseverant. Kakuzu’s eyes, upon realizing the space between them was reducing, slowly widened in fear.

The second contact was stiff, Kakuzu’s body rigid, his breath even on pause. That won’t do. Hidan lightly took Kakuzu’s bottom lip between his teeth and tugged, feeling the man gasp quietly. It was such an innocent sound coming from someone who’d literally just gutted a man a few minutes ago. It made Hidan want to tease him but he settled for the feeling of satisfaction when he released it, letting it silently spring back.

There was only the sound of them both breathing for a few heartbeats, Kakuzu’s gaze flicking back and forth between his own, and yet, slowly drifting closed. The fear was leaving, swiftly being replaced with that look he had last night. A look of hunger.

On the third attempt, Kakuzu met him halfway, the hand fisting his hair now a support to keep Hidan close, fingers uncurling but slightly digging into his skull. They were now chest-to-chest, Hidan’s arms wrapping around Kakuzu’s neck, neither giving up the attack on each other’s mouths. Hidan moaned when his cloak was pushed open and a hand found its way to the small of his back, pushing his growing erection upwards into Kakuzu. It made the man above him pause, growl, and then dive down to Hidan’s neck to bite him.

Throwing his head back, Hidan cried out a curse, holding onto Kakuzu’s scarf for dear life. But he’s not about to lose this battle.

Taking a second to gather his strength, Hidan pushed Kakuzu’s head up from his neck and shivered at the implications that stirring _look_ his partner gave him could possibly mean. It didn’t take him more than a heartbeat to yank the headdress off, Kakuzu’s hair spilling free and that smoldering stare flaring. Hidan surged upwards, capturing his mouth and continuing their intense make-out while he nudged Kakuzu’s legs apart. His partner groaned and after a moment of fumbling to balance his weight onto his arms, Hidan slipped his legs free and hooked them over Kakuzu’s thighs. With a deep rumble, Kakuzu grinded their hips together and once again buried his face into Hidan’s neck, kissing and nipping at the skin.

This was unlike anything Hidan could have predicted. To think his partner would surrender to desire so easily and let Hidan take the lead… It was unlike Kakuzu. Hidan expected more resistance, a bigger fight, definitely more than just a hand shaped bruise on his throat. But maybe Kakuzu wanted this - wanted Hidan.

And Hidan certainly wanted him.

Reaching a hand down between them, Hidan brushed his hand over the significantly hard bulge in Kakuzu’s pants, a shiver of excitement coursing through him as the man gasped. Yes, they both wanted this, and maybe even needed it. Soulmates or whatever aside, there had always been an odd tension between them that no amount of fighting seemed to fix. Just glue and tape to temporarily patch the problem.

Kakuzu pushed into his hand, his breath harsh in his ear, and that was all the permission Hidan needed to go further. His hand slipped under the waistband and cupped the burning length, eliciting a groan and tug of his hair. Hidan worked at pushing Kakuzu’s pants down enough to get some freedom, palming the cock and balls, feeling the slight slick of pre-cum. He was painfully hard himself and made short work of shimmying his own pants down enough to be unrestricted, taking both of their erections into one hand and stroked.

His head is tugged to the side, exposing his throat that Kakuzu begins assaulting with a very talented mouth. It makes him whine and squirm, losing focus on stroking them. But that’s okay because Kakuzu’s thrusting his hips regularly, just enough to satisfy instinct and making things much easier for Hidan.

Neither of them were quiet with their gasps and moans though Hidan suspected Kakuzu was suppressing his as he rocked them together in the mud. He can’t really explain how he knows; they’d been partners for a while now that some things he could just pick up on. Like right now, he knew Kakuzu was still consciously aware of what was happening. This wasn’t an episode where he snaps in his anger and goes on a destructive rampage and then gets pissed afterwards when he realizes what he’s done. Kakuzu didn’t quite admit it but there were subtle tells that he didn’t remember much during those bouts that always put him in a foul mood.

So knowing that and seeing Kakuzu chasing his release, prioritizing pleasure over pride - it was a huge turn-on that had Hidan quietly moaning Kakuzu’s name in his ear. He even nipped it for good measure, his partner dropping his head down to his shoulder and groaning loudly.

So he liked having his name called out during sex - Hidan will have to remember that.

“Fuck, I’m close,” Kakuzu whispered harshly - the first words he’d spoken since the initial kiss. Hidan whined in response, the feeling more than mutual.

And then he’s crying out, arching his back, the friction taking care of it as he comes. It’s been awhile so he isn’t quite aware of anything else but the massive relief of it and he loses a few moments of time. Kakuzu always keeps them so busy that he rarely gets the chance to indulge in anything outside of his own hand but _this… THIS…_ Even if they hadn’t gone all the way, for whatever god-forsaken reason this orgasm was easily a top three. Maybe it was the power of the soulmate bond but Hidan was in too much euphoria to do anything more than _feel_ right now.

Kakuzu finished a little more quietly, biting down into Hidan’s shoulder with a muffled groan. He shuddered, hips spasming in irregular thrusts, before his body quieted down. For a good minute his breathing was rough and sweat continued to drip down, leaving trails as it washed away the dirt and blood. Hidan took the opportunity to tuck them both back into their pants, Kakuzu grunting a little in surprise at the touch but otherwise not responding.

Another minute passed and Kakuzu inhaled deep and then sighed heavily beside his ear, sending a shiver of goosebumps through Hidan. After that, his partner got up, the squelch of mud underfoot the only sound as he walked over to his dispatched masks. Hidan sat up too, his nose wrinkling as he looked down at the mess on his pants and bare stomach. There was quite a lot, too.

He stole a glance at Kakuzu who averted his gaze the instant their eyes met. Shame, maybe? Hidan wasn't sure why - it wasn't as if either of them had forced it. But as the black mass of Kakuzu's two monsters poured into his back and stitched themselves into positions, he couldn't help but make a remark. 

"You're handling this a lot better than I anticipated.” It was true. Hidan had fully expected the worst of reactions to happen. Maybe ending up in pieces or the landscape taking on a new shape. Instead, his partner cracked his neck, angry looking like always but surprisingly calm.

"Ripping you apart won't change things."

Hidan chuckled nervously. "Maa, so you considered it?"

He swallowed as Kakuzu strode over and picked up his headgear, scowling at the muddy mess it had become before sighing and putting it on anyway. "Still considering it," he warned.

Wrapping his arms around his legs, Hidan laid his head down on his knees. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'd rather not tell the others."

"I have no intention of letting them find out. Even if that means silencing you by any means necessary." Kakuzu stepped up the body and used a foot to roll the corpse over. "It was a one time thing. Done and over with."

True, Hidan had been a little built up and he was certain Kakuzu hadn't found relief in ages - at least not since they'd been partnered - but this didn't feel like a 'wham, bam, thank you, ma'am,' sort of deal. Something inside just seemed to click with Kakuzu and he knew he wasn't going to be satisfied with just this once. "It felt really good," Hidan muttered into his shoulder, heat flooding his face.

"What was that?" his partner growled.

"I said it felt good!" Hidan shouted, a little angry that Kakuzu had thought he'd said something rude under his breath. He quickly hid his smirk behind an arm.

Without the mask, Kakuzu was a hell of a lot easier to read. His brow wrinkled, cheeks flushed, and he quickly looked away in what could only be a method to hide a blush. "Doesn't matter. It's not happening again."

Hidan toyed with his bottom lip as he watched his partner straighten himself out. Not happening again? Yeah right. If Kakuzu was anything, it was greedy and Hidan knew just how to play him into his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the support! Things escalated a little quickly this chapter. Now if they can just admit that there's more than a physical attraction between them. ;P


	12. Better Than Human

Hidan stretched languidly like a cat, satisfied in all the right ways. The bed was soft and plushy, the pillows bountiful, and several blankets of various thickness wrapped around him. He even groaned in pleasure at the ache in his hips.

This marked the fourth occasion he and Kakuzu had had sex and this time they had gone all the way. It was fantastic, perhaps the best he's ever had, and that was saying something. He's had his fair share of men and women, including several occurrences of having both at the same time, and although his sex life had been a bit dry since his recruitment into Akatsuki, he still agreed that Kakuzu was the best. Who knew his partner was the perfect lover?

...Well, perfect _during_ sex. Not so much after.

Hidan rolled over only to end up staring at Kakuzu’s back. The four masks stared emptily and he scowled at them, the fire mask in particular because it always looked like it was sneering. But he let his eyes drift up towards the mark – his name – and, because he’s wanted to for the past several days, he reached out and touched it.

Kakuzu’s muscles recoiled and he growled lazily over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Touching the mark,” he answered honestly. What point was there in lying?

“Well knock it off,” his partner huffed, and relaxed once more.

Frowning, Hidan crawled onto his hands and knees and draped himself over Kakuzu. “What’s the big deal?” he asked, ignoring the blatant glare sent his way. He really wanted to know. The cold shoulder he had been receiving lately was colder than normal, which didn’t make sense because he thought they were closer now more than ever before.

“Get off of me,” his partner warned, his tone implying that Hidan was only going to receive one chance.

But what was he going to lose? Hidan smiled coyly. “I’ve already gotten off on you. And so have you.” The skin between Kakuzu’s eyes crinkled the split second before Kakuzu flipped them both over, pinning Hidan by the wrists to the bed. “Oh, round two?” Hidan goaded cheekily, hitching a leg up enough to catch Kakuzu’s waistband with a toe.

Of course, he, himself, was completely nude, unashamed with his growing arousal, no thanks to the crushing grip on his wrists his masochism fed off of. But their bouts of sex had typically started this way: Hidan pissing him off, teasing him with lingering touches, provoking Kakuzu into retaliating until he managed to tempt him just the right way, triggering his desire. Now that he knew Kakuzu was just as horny as any other man, he could play him like a bad addiction.

And play him he did. Kakuzu, in their near year long partnership, had never undressed without reason. Basically, the only time clothes came off was to get clean. Sleeping outdoors was different – they needed to be ready at a moment’s notice, but indoors, the bastard would usually keep his mask on even to sleep. Now he was just bare-chested and maskless, revealing the symmetrical stitch work that cut around impressive muscles and long hair you wouldn’t think he had until the headscarf was removed. The bites and scratches Hidan had given him were on prominent display along with the hickey under his jaw that Hidan was pretty sure Kakuzu didn’t realize was there yet. Kakauzu liked to complain about the marks but Hidan knew what he was doing – he didn't leave them anywhere obvious. Although… the scratches on his back weren't as easy to hide without the cloak. But Kakuzu was smart; he'll keep himself covered to avoid suspicion. 

The same couldn't be said for the marks left on Hidan's body. Kakuzu liked to bite and grip him _hard._ Finger-shaped bruises littered his hips, wrists, and throat, and teeth marks decorated his skin from shoulder to shoulder. They faded fast, maybe within a day or two, but the marks were obvious in their creation. He'd wear them like a badge of honor if he weren’t so worried about the others finding out. Once or twice he may be able to fool them that he had found a pretty wild girl to fool around with but he won't be able to use that excuse every time. If anyone was a threat to exposing them it was Kakuzu's lack of restraint, but to the man currently threatening him, Hidan was always the one at fault.

"Shut up," Kakuzu hissed, snatching up his jaw.

Hidan grinned, slithering his now free hand up Kakuzu's arm, across his shoulder, collarbone, down his chest, watching those piercing green eyes dilate as he traced the stitches leading down below his waistband. "Come on, baby," he purred, gripping Kakuzu by the groin.

Kakuzu grunted, lurching in his grip, a breath harshly puffing into his ear.

He won.

...Or not.

Kakuzu flipped him onto his stomach, twisting his arm up behind his back. "Don't call me that," he growled, and then shoved him away. "If you can't leave your hands to yourself you can sleep on the floor."

Hidan pursed his lips in a pout. Kakuzu sure was in a foul mood. Wasn't sex supposed to cure that?

Half hard, he was a little disappointed it didn't seem like round two was going to happen and getting off by himself just wasn't that appealing. Or maybe…? Nah, he’ll get thrown out the window for sure.

As he crawled up onto hands and knees, he grumbled and then sent a glare at that cold back. The fire mask was definitely mocking him, just peeking out from under the covers Kakuzu had thrown back on. The urge to tackle Kakuzu suddenly overcame him and it took an immense amount of restraint not to.

Huffing through his nose, Hidan leaned over the edge of the bed and pawed around the floor until he found his underwear. He slipped them on, fluffed up a pillow, and got comfortable. But then, feeling restless, he glanced over his shoulder and opened his mouth without thinking.

“Goodnight,” he said with a little attitude. There was no response – not that he expected one. He’s not even sure why he’d said it. As far as he could remember, he’s never said goodnight to Kakuzu except maybe out of sarcasm. This time he… actually kind of meant it.

>>>><<<< 

The next two days went about the same. 

…Actually, he’ll take that back. It was worse. Like they were back to a few months ago when Hidan had first pointed out the mark. Kakuzu was ignoring him with that distant look again, brooding and generally unresponsive. It was aggravating, annoying, and… lonely.

And worse than that, there was no sex! Yeah, it hadn’t been a regular thing and probably never would be, but Hidan had had more than a taste and he craved more. 

There was something about Kakuzu that made sex more enjoyable. Maybe it was his roughness, those thick hands, coarse with callouses, digging into his hips and waist. Or the way he kissed deeply and grazed his teeth along Hidan’s lips. A shiver of desire ran through him as he recalled what Kakuzu’s mouth and tongue and teeth felt like on his neck, nipping and sucking, biting into the tendons and muscle. He’s had lovers bite him before but it was different, _better,_ when Kakuzu did it.

He looked at him now, walking silently ahead, briefcase in hand. The bounty yesterday had been a cakewalk, Hidan hardly breaking a sweat and Kakuzu standing by absentmindedly. When they’d dropped off the bounty, Hidan had watched Kakuzu count the money with a blank expression, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. He didn't negotiate or double and triple count to make sure it was all there; he simply fingered through the bills and accepted it. Whatever was on his mind must be important if money came second and Hidan was _dying_ to know what it was.

They were actually on their way to drop said money off. Gloomy and fishface were apparently on their way back to Ame and, though it required a bit of a detour, Hidan and Kakuzu were to meet with them briefly to hand over the funds. It was boring as hell and it meant they couldn’t afford to get... _distracted,_ much to Hidan’s displeasure.

Of course, they were the first ones to arrive, stopping at a three-way intersection complete with a signpost. Kakuzu was content just standing and waiting but Hidan tired of that quickly. He pulled his scythe off and inspected the blades, finding their sharpness unsatisfactory. He patted himself down and checked his pockets for his whetstone but it seemed he’d lost it. Not surprising – it was probably the one thing he repeatedly had to replace.

Unexpectedly, Kakuzu called out to him in a heads up fashion before tossing something. Hidan caught it and stared bewildered at the sharpening stone, and then shrugged. “How come you have it?” he asked as he sat down on a nearby boulder and pulled his scythe into his lap.

“Because you constantly leave it behind. I’m tired of buying new ones.” It made sense if he thought about it. Kakuzu _had_ stopped reminding him to check and make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything.

He ran the stone over a blade. “So how long do we have to wait?”

A crow squawked, catching Kakuzu’s attention. “Not long,” he answered simply.

Hidan shook his head and focused on sharpening his scythe. The bottom most blade took a lot of abuse and needed the most attention, the chips starting to become more evident. If people stopped dodging his attacks he wouldn’t have this problem but he supposed them standing there without fighting back wasn’t much fun either.

True to Kakuzu’s predictions, tt truthfully wasn’t that long of a wait. Hidan was just starting on the top blade when two figures crested over the hill. Kisame really stood out with how he towered over Itachi and that massive bandaged sword strapped to his back may as well be a body. Hidan passed the stone over the blade a couple of more times before pocketing it and joining Kakuzu by the road.

“Ah, you beat us,” Kisame grinned sharply as they finally reached them. 

“Mm,” Kakuzu hummed noncommittally and held out the case.

“Straight to business, eh?” Kisame reached into his cloak and pulled out an envelope. “I got that information you requested.”

Finding this conversation lacking, he let his attention drift. Kisame liked to talk and drag things out with Kakuzu and usually it was informative stuff but he just took forever explaining it. At least he didn’t bother teasing Kakuzu like he did Deidara and he. Well, he tried but Kakuzu wasn’t amused and Kisame would just shrug and call him a bore.

His partner, however, was silent as could be. Itachi stood and stood, sometimes with his eyes closed, until Kisame finished or needed reminding to hurry up. It was interesting to see how Kisame could look like he was completely ignoring Itachi but was still fully attentive. The slightest movement from the Uchiha and Kisame reacted like a well-trained dog. 

He wondered...

Hidan eyed the two of them warily, curious as to where their soulmate marks were. Deidara had said Itachi’s was on his wrist but the bastard had his arms tucked inside his cloak and Kisame had his zipped all the way up. 

The two of them, strangely, got along compared to everyone else. They were polar opposites and yet Hidan couldn’t recall them ever bickering. _Could they be…?_

He shook his head to clear the image. Just the thought of the two of them fucking was enough to turn him off of the idea. And yet, he couldn’t help the invasive images. 

As if hearing his thoughts, red eyes locked onto him and Hidan stiffened. _Fuck, he can’t read minds, can he?_ Usually in a situation like this he’d snap something rude like, _‘The fuck are you looking at?’_ but instead he was panicking, rooted to the spot and itching to grab his scythe.

Kisame was the one to interrupt. “What’s up with you?”

Hidan glared his way. “Nothing,” he snapped. “You done gabbing? We ain’t got all day.”

“Impatient little thing, aren’t ’cha,” Kisame chuckled. “Too bad you can’t kill this one, eh, Kakuzu?” Kakuzu didn’t answer – teasing about killing his partners was starting to get old. Kisame snickered some more before saying, “Yeah, we’re done. Right?”

Kakuzu nodded with a grunt of affirmation.

“Alright then. Always a pleasure,” Kisame dismissed.

Kakuzu started down the path opposite the other duo, Hidan watching them leave for a moment, his eyes especially trained on the shorter one. Unease crawled up his spine.

Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Hidan rushed over to Kakuzu. “Oi, can the Sharingan read minds?” He glanced nervously over a shoulder as if expecting Itachi to be right there to answer for him. 

“Not to my knowledge.” Kakuzu shifted his eyes onto Hidan for a brief moment before returning his attention to the road. And then after a moment of shared silence, he sighed. “Do I want to know?”

Wrinkling his nose, Hidan shook his head. “No. It was a really gross thought that I can’t get out of my head.”

“Mm.”

Wait a second… Kakuzu was actually talking to him.

He grinned but quickly hid it behind a scoff. “I mean, can you imagine those two fucking?”

Kakuzu stumbled to a stop and locked wide furrowed eyes on Hidan. “Why would you-” He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers and resuming his walk. “No, nevermind. I don’t want to know.”

“Hey, I need someone to suffer with me,” Hidan whined as he caught up. “Now, my first thought was Kisame being the top ‘cuz he’s just bigger right? I mean, Itachi is so small and dainty looking compared to him it makes sense.”

“Stop talking.”

“But then I thought, what if Itachi was the dom? I mean, imagine Kisame begging for a dick up the ass? Like, what if he’s secretly a submissive? I mean, the way he listens to Itachi makes that theory plausible, right?”

“Hidan, enough. I don’t want those images in my head.”

“Gross, right?” Hidan went on, enjoying every minute of it. “But he’s pretty eager to fight so maybe pain gets him off which… eugh… that’s…” _A little too like me,_ he kept in his head. But he continues anyways, sentence unfinished. “But like, _what if,_ y’know? Itachi has the Sharingan which can make you experience pain without actually physically damaging the body ‘cuz it’s all like, fucking with your head and shit, right?”

“Hidan…” Kakuzu warned wearily.

“Oh!” He hit the side of his fist into Kakuzu’s arm. “Fuck all that! He totally just uses genjutsu to get off! I bet he just stands there and watches Kisame get fucked by imaginary people!”

There was a snort that made them both pause and Hidan peered curiously at his partner. Kakuzu was taking a moment to collect himself, eyes squeezed shut, brow pinched, thumb and middle finger pressing into the corners of his eyes. Hidan had actually made him laugh. Well, it was short-lived and could have been a cough but in his head it was a laugh.

Letting his hands fall to the sides, Kakuzu gazed up with a long sigh, looking ready to ask the heavens why he was here. But instead he slid his gaze onto Hidan and said, “You have quite the imagination,” and he said that sounding almost amused.

Hidan crossed his arms and announced haughtily, “It’s a curse! And I’ve had similar images about Deidara and Sasori except they don’t fuck each other, they fuck their _“art!””_ He even used his fingers to emphasize the word. “I’m totally convinced Sasori has a puppet he uses for sex, probably one that looks like him too since he’s so obsessed with himself. And I bet’cha Deidara jerks off with his clay. I'd totally be okay to die laughing if the idiot blows his dick off!" He was already laughing so hard his sides were starting to hurt but Kakuzu just shook his head and kept walking. Hidan wiped an eye before running up to bump shoulders. "Come on, it'd be pretty hilarious."

Kakuzu sighed. "I suppose so, Hidan."

>>>><<<< 

“Oi.”

From on the edge of the bed, Kakuzu paused in removing his last sandal. “What?”

Hidan marched up to him, nearly sitting in Kakuzu’s lap as he wrapped his arms around his scowling partner’s neck. “Let’s do it.”

Kakuzu huffed and shoved a hand in Hidan’s face. “Get off.”

“I want to but you’re making it difficult,” Hidan responded cheekily.

“The answer’s no,” he growled as he untangled himself from Hidan. He got up while Hidan crossed his legs from his spot on the floor.

“Why not? We haven’t done it in days!” he whined.

“Because I’m not in the mood.”

“Well what puts you in the mood?”

“Drop it, Hidan.”

“I’m serious,” he said honestly. “Do you need, like, a massage or something first? I can do that.” He really was trying to compromise, not that he was desperate for sex but, well, if he was being honest with himself, he just didn’t like the rejection.

Odd how it didn’t really bother him before now.

“If you’re that desperate go find someone else,” Kakuzu snarled.

Taken aback, Hidan sunk down until his shoulders were up to his ears. He was feeling that pain creeping through his chest again – the kind that he couldn’t explain. “You’d… be okay with that?”

Kakuzu whirled around, seething. “Why wouldn’t I be?!”

“I- …” Hidan’s mouth hung open for a second but he didn’t have an answer. He looked to the floor instead and mumbled, “I don’t know.”

“What was that?”

“I don’t know! Okay? I don’t fucking know!” he screamed back at him. “I just-” Hidan broke off into a growl as he scratched at his head. “It just… It feels like you’re avoiding me.”

“Maybe that’s because I am.”

Hidan snapped up, that painful feeling spiking as he looked into the silent fury being relayed in Kakuzu’s eyes. “W-why?”

His partner just grew angrier and scoffed. “Don’t look at me like that.”

Confused, Hidan asked, “Like _what?”_

“Like you’re about to cry. It’s pathetic and it won’t work,” Kakuzu said pointedly and turned his back to rifle through his spare clothes.

Pissed, Hidan scrambled to his feet. “I’m not gonna fuckin’ cry! The _fuck_ is your problem?!”

“You are!” he yelled back without any hesitation. “My life was just fine before you came along!”

“The hell it was!”

“You’ve been nothing but a pain from the first moment we met! I had nothing to worry about, nobody to drag me down! But then _you_ had to come into existence and ruin that!”

"I'm not _‘dragging’_ you down! If anyone is in your way it's yourself! I'm stuck with you because _you_ killed off your previous partners! _You_ sabotaged yourself! If anyone's life is ruined, it's mine! I had everything until Akatsuki showed up and fucked me over, telling me what I can and can't do! I was promised that I could spread the word of Jashin but what choice did I really have? You were all there to kill me and then propositioned me with an ultimatum just because I'm immortal! That's my whole purpose in being here." He thrust a finger at Kakuzu's face. "So _you_ can't kill me! So _you_ can keep doing their bidding and follow their stupid rules! _You._ Not me. I'm just here to fill a quota."

Kakuzu slapped his hand away. "You didn't have to stay, Hidan! You could have left – I wouldn't have stopped you. In fact, I would have encouraged you to leave! You bitch about Akatsuki enough so why don't you?"

"Maybe I don't want to leave _you!"_ Hidan screamed without thinking first.

"And that's the problem, isn't it," Kakuzu hissed, his voice suddenly low and threatening. "Even if I wanted to, I can't get rid of you because the universe seems to think otherwise!"

Hidan thought for a moment as he tried to decipher his own and Kakuzu’s words. “Are you… Are you still pissed over this soulmate bullshit?” Before Kakuzu could answer, Hidan scoffed. “Get over it! Do you think anyone gives a shit? Who cares if we’ve got some stupid destiny crap tying us together? It could be worse!"

“You don’t understand shit! You don’t know the life I’ve had to live-”

“Oh, boo-hoo. You’re childhood sucked? You had to go to prison? I used to respect you but seeing you crying over something so ridiculous makes me sick! Who gives a fuck?”

_“I _do!”

“Why?”

“Because look at me!” Kakuzu shouted as he lunged for Hidan. He had him pinned to the floor in the blink of an eye, his teeth bared threateningly. _“Look_ at me!”

Hidan leveled him with a look. “I _am_ looking.”

“And aren’t you disgusted?”

“Why, because you’re a man? Newsflash, you ain’t my first.”

“No…” Kakuzu’s voice trailed off into a growl, releasing Hidan and sitting up. There was a moment of hesitation before a hand gestured to his own body. “...This. You aren’t disgusted by this?”

_ “Wha-”_ Hidan broke off, finally registering what Kakuzu meant. _Oh…_ He had no idea Kakuzu was this self-conscious of his body. It just never occurred to him. Kakuzu was always so confident and reveling in his power, the thought that Kakuzu hated himself was never conceived.

Kakuzu was quieter, sounding and looking dejected as he avoided Hidan's eyes. “Because of what I am. I’m not… human.”

A newfound anger boiled up inside him. Anger towards the assholes who’d caused Kakuzu to feel insecure about his looks. Anger at the man’s previous partners who had probably scorned him. Anger at Kakuzu, who let these thoughts get to him. It was no wonder he constantly covered up; why he flinched away when Hidan touched him; how he avoided public baths and on some days sent Hidan out into the streets to meet informants.

Kakuzu was insecure.

And he thought Hidan wouldn't want him because he was no longer _'human?'_ That bothered him immensely. 

Hidan drew his lips back, pissed. “And_ I_ am?”

Kakuzu watched him carefully, yet visibly confused.

Hidan propped himself up onto his elbows. “The moment Jashin granted me immortality I stopped being human. I’m _His_ disciple. That makes me better than human ‘cuz fuck being a weak ass bitch like the rest of them. You and me – we’re better.”

Kakuzu continued to be silent while straddling over Hidan but his eyes kept flicking down and up as if trying to read something. Hidan wondered what he could be thinking about – if his partner was processing what he said seriously or was going to reject them. He _was_ probably the most stubborn person Hidan has ever met. So to drive his point home and determined to get through to his partner, he added, _“Fuck_ being human.”

“You- …” There was nothing more said as Kakuzu went quiet (except for his breathing but after their shouting match they were both a little winded). And then, right as Hidan went to go and call Kakuzu stupid or an idiot or something along those lines (he can’t remember because the words are completely erased from his mind), Kakuzu pounced, smashing their mouths together and pushing Hidan into the floor. Fingers dug into his skull, tugging him back by his hair but keeping their mouths locked in desperate kisses. It was more fervent and intimate than the first time they’d kissed that week or so ago. Since then, Kakuzu had been avoiding kissing Hidan directly, aiming more for his neck and shoulders whenever they gave into desire.

There’s none of that hormonal lust like the other times now, even when Hidan reaches up to grasp onto Kakuzu, desperate to keep him close. Don’t get him wrong, Hidan’s incredibly turned on, but Kakuzu’s movements don’t match the previous situations. There’s less primal urge and more emotional need in the way Kakuzu was clinging to him. Hidan craved more but...

This was okay, too.

The contact started to dwindle as breathing became more difficult. Kakuzu used less force, less desperation, and left tender, lingering kisses. Hidan would worry about the abnormal intimacy at a later point. Right now he’s too concerned with what’s happening in his partner’s head than the repercussions of actually wanting Kakuzu for more than just work and pleasure.

Kakuzu pulled away some, fingers still gripping Hidan's hair while they each tried to catch their breaths. Green eyes opened and the earlier turmoil was gone. Hidan had never seen Kakuzu look this soft and at peace.

Apparently the shit he had said while unhinged was exactly what Kakuzu needed to hear. Ironic considering how often Kakuzu told him to shut up. Maybe Hidan wasn’t as self-absorbed as everyone made him out to be.

But he'll have time to be smug about that later.

He pulled Kakuzu to him until their foreheads and noses touched, staring directly into those rage-free eyes. “Fuck everyone else,” he said breathily. “Fuck being human. I lived that life and it sucked and I know it did for you too. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here." He unwrapped from around Kakuzu’s neck and cupped his face. “We left that all behind to be something better and I for one don’t miss it.”

The weight of Kakuzu’s head tipped, his eyes drifting closed while a soft sigh escaped through his nose. For a moment, Hidan could swear Kakuzu smiled before escaping into the crook of his neck. “There must be something wrong with me if you’re making sense.”

“Oi, asshole,” Hidan growled indignantly but was grinning in spite of his tone. “Go fuck yourself. I’m trying to be nice here.”

With a slight shake of his head, Kakuzu huffed into his neck in clear exasperation, almost coming across as a laugh. Meanwhile, the fingers that had been gripping Hidan tightly a moment ago were now massaging miniscule circles, the subtle petting almost distracting Hidan enough not to hear the whispered, “Thank you,” against his neck.

Hidan smirked, pleased that things between them were finally settling; things that were bound to be different but not in a bad way. They’ll still butt heads and fight, still have moments of wanting to gut one another, but they won’t completely hate each other. 

_Soulmates, huh?_ Hidan contemplated as he sunk his hands into Kakuzu’s hair. Was this what it was supposed to feel like: complete contentment with the person you’re bound to? Hidan hadn’t been lying when he said he respected Kakuzu, and that was in itself something special. Of course, Jashin will always come first, but Kakuzu was rapidly becoming a close second, and that’s never happened before and probably never will again. 

Ah, now he was starting to get it. On top of there being some sick satisfaction that Kakuzu was destined to be his, he was starting to get attached. That wasn't good. The commandments stated that he had to kill his neighbors – he hadn't liked Kakuzu before so therefore he was exempt, but now…

Then again, Jashin hasn't told him otherwise. He'll just have to up his sacrifice count. That should absolve him of his sins for the time being.

His back was beginning to ache from being pressed into the hard floor and Kakuzu’s weight on top of him wasn’t helping. He tapped his partner. “Oi, not that I mind the position but can we at least be on the bed?”

The skin of Hidan’s neck cooled as Kakuzu deeply inhaled and then doubled in heat as he breathed out. “Yeah,” he answered and got up off of Hidan. “I… still need a shower.” He wasn’t meeting Hidan’s eyes and didn’t seem at all inclined to talk about their… fight? Feelings? Confessions? Whatever that all was. Kakuzu returned to his small bag and gathered some clothes. 

Hidan, now sitting cross-legged, propped his chin on an elbow. “Can I join?”

The hesitation only made the awkwardness more palpable. “... Not right now.”

He shrugged, “Okay,” and got up from the floor while Kakuzu made his escape into the bathroom. Hidan lingered a little longer, wondering if he should go in anyways but… it seemed like Kakuzu had needed some time alone.

At the moment their partnership was delicate and he really didn’t want to fuck it up any more than it already was (something he would have readily done in the past). They’d made strides today, something he hadn’t really planned on or foreseen but Hidan knew he had a growing need to remain with Kakuzu.

He considered the word _soulmate_ as he lied down, remembering how Deidara had said soulmates didn’t necessarily mean two people falling in love. He certainly didn’t _love_ Kakuzu, he could only love Jashin, but he did _like_ his partner despite how irritating he could be.

With a huff, Hidan rolled onto his side, focusing on the dull roar of the shower to distract him from his thoughts only to drift off to sleep with a soft smile gracing his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof, this was long overdue and I'm getting ready to wrap this up.  
Hidan's figured out his feelings (for the most part) and the next chapter is Kakuzu finally sorting out his own and then a little fluffy epilogue for the final chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who are awaiting an update on The Rook and the Bishop, I know, how dare I get sidetracked. But I promise, I haven't given up on it, I just got a little burned out and was hitting a wall so I needed a change of pace for the time being. In the meantime, enjoy this short catastrophe.


End file.
